explore | Grilled Cheese

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 17, 2026, 6:51 PM

Here's a contemporary Toucan silverplate and stone inlay sugar bowl with spoon by Los Castillo - the children and grandchildren of Antonio Castillo still create wonderful items superbly crafted!

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #silverplate #stoneinlay #Toucan #sugarbowl #taxco #mexicansilver

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 16, 2026, 12:55 PM

A sculptural sterling silver coral pearls and 'raw' emeralds Mexican modernist Bird design pin pendant by Chato Castillo c. 1950s - measures 2.75" by 2.25", and weighs 25.6 grams.

#chatocastillotaxco #loscastillotaxco #mexicansilver #taxco #mexicanmodernist #midcenturymexico #modernistjewelry #art

Depicted here is a graceful and elegant long-billed shore bird, likely the Zarapito Americano (long-billed Curlew in the US). a migratory bird that can be found along the coasts of Mexico in the autumn and winter months.

The brooch is constructed of sterling silver, and set with a single post-set coral bead 'eye', and with post-set pearls along one wing, and uncut emeralds prong-set on the other wing.

Can be worn as a brooch pin, and as a pendant.
Measures 2.75" across by 2.25" tall, and weighs a hefty 25.6 grams total. Marked at back as shown with design number "4", Chato's 'perfil de perico' (cubist parrot) mark, and "Chato Castillo Taxco Mexico 925". No eagle mark, but undeniably 1950s vintage.

A rare design that I've only seen once before. Usually a design number signifies that a piece was made in multiples, not one of a kind, but the number of multiples at Los Castillo can be from single numbers to hundreds or even thousands for their most popular designs like Chato's 'perfil de perico' design that was made into pins, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, belt buckles, bolo ties, and I've even seen a compact. Chato's multiples numbers are usually much smaller, and were made by him.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 13, 2026, 10:51 PM

A lovely set of handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco Tropical Bloom design brooch pin and earrings created by Margot for Los Castillo in Taxco c. 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #margotdesign #mexicansilver #artdecojewelry #floraldesign #sterling #brooch #tropicalbloom #mexicanjewelry #taxco #1940s

A lovely set of vintage 1940s handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco floral design brooch pin and earrings by Margot Van Voorhies Carr for Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico. Very pretty entirely handmade and curvaceous early design by Margot when she was married to Antonio Castillo in the early days of Los Castillo. Margot was the head designer there for most of the 1940s, and this set is a great example of the lushness of her sculptural design in the early days! The brooch measures 2.5" by 2". The earrings measure 1-1/8" by just under 1". Total weight for the set is 1.2 ounce or roughly 34 grams total. Marked as shown, "Los Castillo Taxco Sterling Made in Mexico" with design number "723" on the brooch, and the earrings are marked with design number "721". From a local Tucson estate, and in such great shape after all these years! Excellent vintage condition.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 6:05 PM

A magnificent Los Castillo Taxco Margot design sterling silver & amethyst Mexican Art Deco floral Orchid design necklace circa 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #mexicansilver #margotdesign #taxco #1940s #sterlingsilver #amethyst #necklace #orchid #design #artdeco #mexico #mexicanjewelry #plata

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Oct 4, 2026, 2:02 PM

A magnificent Los Castillo metales casados mosaico azteca Aztec Chieftain & Quetzalcoatl design tazza tray/artwork circa 1980s - measures 15.5" diameter!

#loscastillotaxco #antoniocastillodesign #taxco #metalescasados #mosaicoazteca #tray #artwork #art #mexicandesign #AztecChieftain #Quetzalcoatl

A magnificent and very rare vintage 1980s handmade metales casados and mosaico azteca Aztec Chieftain design decorative tazza tray created by Antonio Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco. A highly stylized Aztec Chieftain figure and the Aztec Dragon aka Quetzalcoatl, formed in metales casados (married metals) and surrounded by mosaico azteca (mosaic stone inlay), all set in a silver-plated tazza tray form. The metales casados figures have incised details, and the chieftain has inlaid stone in his feather headdress. I'm certain that this incredibly beautiful object was intended to be an artwork for proud display rather than a utilitarian item for everyday use, and it looks amazing standing up in a plate stand as shown in my photos! Designed and perhaps even made by Antonio Castillo in the last quarter of his life for his family workshop Los Castillo in Taxco. I've only seen one other of this design ever in my 40+ years in the business! This one is azurmalachite (blue-green-brown stone), the other one was all azurite (blue stone). Measures 15.5" diameter by 2.75" high at rim, and weighs 6 pounds. Marked at back as shown in my photos, design number "777", also "Plateado Hecho en Mexico Los Castillo Taxco TA-01".

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 3:31 PM

A lovely handmade sterling silver and carved coral cameo Mexican Art Deco locket pendant necklace designed by Margot van Voorhies for Los Castillo in Taxco - circa 1940s.

#loscastillotaxco #mexicansilver #margotdesign #carved #coral #locket #pendant #necklace #mexicanjewelry #taxco #artdeco #art

I'm guessing this pendant is from the late 1940s 1946-47, just before the advent of the Eagle mark system in 1948. It's no doubt one of Margots later designs for Los Castillo just before her divorce from Antonio Castillo. A romantic possibly antique carved coral cameo, I'm guessing of Italian origin, overtop a hinged compartment for a photo of a loved one. Remember, this was either at the end of or just after the Second World War, and romantic tokens were all the rage! Probably special-made at a customer's request who more than likely supplied the coral cameo, possibly from an antique necklace or pendant originally.

Measures 2-3/8" tall by 1-1/2" wide by 5/8" at thickest point, and hangs on a later-added sterling chain. Marked "Los Castillo Taxco Sterling Made in Mexico" at back.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 29, 2026, 11:17 AM

A humongous one of a kind wall-hanging sculpture by Los Castillo of Taxco - measures 36.75” tall by 26.5” wide!! Dimensional design in metales casados, encrusted with gemstone and shell inlay, depicts a pre-Columbian figure.
#loscastillotaxco #antoniocastillotaxco #art #sculpture #taxco #mexicanart

Entirely handmade ‘metales casados’ (copper, brass, silver) with mother of pearl and turquoise inlay all laid down on an ebonized black wood background.
Depicts a seated Aztec or Mayan chieftain or priest with elaborate and dimensional ‘feather’ headdress and jewelry.
These oversized incredible works of art from the final days of Los Castillo circa late 1980s to 1990s were undoubtedly designed by Antonio Castillo and produced by him and his workmen in Taxco.
The largest and most elaborate example that I've seen. The pinnacle of this art form created by Chato Castillo in the 1940s, and fine-tuned and perfected by his brother Antonio Castillo over the course of 50 years!

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 27, 2026, 3:46 PM

A very large handmade sterling silver Mexican Art Deco floral Flower design brooch from Los Castillo circa 1940s.

#handmade #repoussage #sterlingsilver #flower #brooch #pin #LosCastilloTaxco #mexicansilver #mexicanartdeco #artdecodesign #artdecosilver #taxco #jewelrydesign #wearableart #art #plata

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 1:45 PM

A lovely sterling silver and glass necklace and brooch by Los Castillo. The necklace designed by Margot, the fish brooch by Antonio Castillo.

#loscastillotaxco #handmade #margotdesign #mexicansilver #antoniocastillotaxco #taxco #sterlingsilver #glass #necklace #brooch #pin #1940s #wearableart

Antonio Castillo and Margot van Voorhies were an incredible design team as well as a happily married couple! She had great ideas, and he knew how to translate them into actual jewelry pieces. Together they produced the wonderful exotic ornate artworks characteristic of the first decade of Los Castillo.

The examples shown are a necklace design number 456 by Margot, and a brooch design number 514 by Antonio. Both pieces have 1940s Los Castillo marks ie "Los Castillo Sterling Made in Mexico Taxco" along with their respective design numbers.

These items sold June last year at Heritage Auctions in Texas for $1500 including the buyers premium. The new owner is a very lucky person! A rare and absolutely stunning necklace that I've only seen once before! I've seen the brooch a number of times, but this lovely shade of turquoise blue glass in Los Castillo jewelry isn't common.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 15, 2026, 2:37 PM

Antonio Castillo who founded Los Castillo with his brothers and his wife Margot (de Taxco) in 1939, passed away on May 25, 2000. His children carry on the tradition of silver excellence in Taxco. Here’s a belt buckle by him from the last 20 years of his life #loscastillotaxco #antoniocastillodesign

Very much in the style of his brother, Chato Castillo, this ‘jaguar’ design belt buckle uses the ‘metales casados’ technique with four shades of metal, light and dark silver, brass, and copper, and with black onyx and tortoiseshell inlay. Circa 1980s.

In the last 20 years of his life, 1980-2000, Antonio Castillo continued his innovations in silver art with new works in amber, carved stones, and his dynamic settings of pre-Columbian ancient artifacts, of which he was a world renowned expert and collector.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 11, 2026, 4:28 PM

An iconic Los Castillo 'metales casados' (copper, brass, silver) and stone inlay 'eye' Mexican modernist Aztec Bird design three-part tray by Chato Castillo c. 1950s.

#loscastillotaxco #metalescasados #marriedmetals #chatocastillodesign #taxco #mexicanmodernism #AztecBird #design #tray #mcm #art

@patrickkapty.bsky.social Sep 7, 2026, 4:14 PM

A super rare 'Metales Castillo' bracelet in sterling copper and brass and centering a pre-Columbian jade bead at top c. 1950s - design by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo Taxco.

Available....

www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...

#loscastillotaxco #chatocastillodesign #metalescastillo #mexicanmodernism

A super rare vintage 1950s handmade mixed metals (sterling, copper, brass) and large pre-Columbian jade bead Mexican modernist bracelet designed by Chato Castillo for Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico. An incredible design entirely handmade by skilled artisans in the Los Castillo workshop in heavy-gauge brass and copper wire, centering a large (1.25" diameter!) pre-Columbian jade bead at top, and with a sterling silver closure at bottom! Both Chato and his brother Antonio Castillo were long-time collectors of pre-Columbian artifacts, and some pieces from their collections found their way into unique jewelry designs produced by Los Castillo. I've only seen one other example of this bracelet design which I purchased at auction a few years ago from the famous Hodosh collection in California. This is only the second example of it that I have seen, and I had the privilege of viewing some of the best collections of Mexican silver and modernist jewelry in the world when I worked on the Maestros de Plata exhibition and catalog back in 2001. The bracelet measures 1.5" wide at top, and fits up to a 7.5" wrist (snugly), though I suggest a 7 to 7.25 wrist at largest for comfortable wear, and weighs a hefty 71.5 grams total. The pre-Columbian jade bead measures 1.25" diameter by about 7/8" widest point. The bracelet is marked with the early 1950s "Metales Castillo" mark, also design number "191".You won't see another one for sale anytime soon! There is some wear as expected to the ancient pre-Columbian jade bead that is likely Maya in origin, and is no doubt in the vicinity of 1500-2000 years old! Excellent vintage condition.

@loscastillotaxco.bsky.social Sep 4, 2026, 2:19 PM

A rare 'metal pintura' Mexican modernist fishermen design brooch by Chato Castillo c. 1950s.

#chatocastillotaxco #metalpintura #paintingwithmetal #mexicanmodernism #modernistjewelry #handmade #loscastillotaxco #taxco #design #modernism #midcenturymexico #mexicandesign #hechoamano #hechoenmexico