crown

crown

circa 1770
Artist
unknown artist
Country
Mexico
Object
crown
Accession Number
1980.318
Credit Line
Gift of the Robert Appleman family

Unknown artist, Crown, about 1770. Silver; 7⅛ × 6¾ in. dia. Gift of the Robert Appleman family, 1980.318.

Dimensions
height: 7.125 in, 18.0975 cm; diameter: 6.75 in, 17.1450 cm
Department
Mayer Center, Latin American Art
Collection
Latin American Art

When Hernando Cortés and his small army arrived in Mexico in 1519, to their delight they found that gold and silver were abundant. Indigenous societies had a long tradition of metalworking techniques, including filigree, casting, and hammering. Silversmiths from Spain began to immigrate to the Americas shortly after the conquest and introduced European forms and styles. Through time the synthesis of European and Indigenous styles became integrated, culminating in the lush excesses of colonial Baroque and Rococo metalwork. This crown would have adorned the head of a statue of a saint or the Virgin Mary.
--Donna Pierce, 2015

Known Provenance
Gifted 26 December 1980 to the Denver Art Museum by Mr. Robert C. and Mrs. Jean Appleman. Provenance research is on-going at the Denver Art Museum. Please e-mail provenance@denverartmuseum.org, if you have questions, or if you have additional information to share with us.