Bowl

The irregular and shallow scratches that radiate from the center of this lobed vessel indicate that it saw much use. Large forms such as this bowl, as well as the next two examples (cat. nos. 404 – 405), were rarely found in North America because of the great amount of silver required for their fabrication. In Mexico, however, where the silver-rich mines of Sultepec, Zumpango, Taxco, and Zacatecas yielded enormous quantities, these weighty vessels were the norm.

This text has been adapted from "Silver of the Americas, 1600-2000," edited by Jeannine Falino and Gerald W.R. Ward, published in 2008 by the MFA. Complete references can be found in that publication.