1960s Los Castillo Seahorse Silver Plate Creamer & Sugar Set

Details

Description

Exceptional Mexican Modernist silver-plated creamer and lidded sugar pot by Los Castillo, designed and handcrafted in Taxco, Mexico, circa 1960s. … Read more Exceptional Mexican Modernist silver-plated creamer and lidded sugar pot by Los Castillo, designed and handcrafted in Taxco, Mexico, circa 1960s. The two-piece serving set is constructed from solid brass with a silver-plated finish and features wonderfully sculptural seahorse-form handles, transforming functional tableware into decorative objects with a distinctly surreal and organic character.

The creamer has a hand-worked, gently lobed body with a hammered surface, elongated pouring lip, and an exceptionally expressive cast seahorse handle. Its companion sugar pot contrasts the pitcher with a more architectural cylindrical body, fitted lid and small shell-form finial, while repeating the dramatic seahorse motif as its handle. Together, the contrasting forms create an unusually sophisticated and playful composition.

Los Castillo occupies an important position in the history of 20th-century Mexican silver and decorative arts. The workshop was founded in Taxco in 1939 by brothers Antonio, Jorge, Miguel and Justo Castillo, who had worked in the circle of William Spratling. Los Castillo became one of the leading forces in the development of the Mexican Silver Renaissance, expanding the vocabulary of Taxco metalwork beyond traditional sterling jewelry into ambitious decorative and functional objects.

The workshop became particularly celebrated for combining Mexican craft traditions with a distinctly modern sensibility. Their work frequently incorporated sculptural animal and botanical imagery, mixed metals, repoussé and hammered surfaces, stone and mosaic inlays, and inventive interpretations of pre-Columbian and natural forms. This experimentation helped establish Taxco as an internationally recognized center for modern Mexican design, and Los Castillo pieces remain highly sought after by collectors of Mexican Modernism and 20th-century silver.

This set beautifully demonstrates that philosophy. The oversized seahorse handles are not merely functional elements but become the principal sculptural gesture of each piece. The combination of polished and hand-hammered surfaces further emphasizes the handmade nature of the objects.

For interior designers, the set offers considerable decorative versatility. Displayed together on a bar cabinet, dining-room console, cocktail table, library shelf or styled tabletop, the pieces read as small-scale sculpture while retaining their original serving function. Their silver finish works especially well within interiors mixing Mexican Modernism, mid-century modern, contemporary, Hollywood Regency and eclectic design.

Only the sugar pot retains the Los Castillo hallmark, reading:

Los Castillo / Taxco / TO-01 / Plateado / #151 / #20

The creamer is unmarked. Both pieces are being offered together as a set.

Measurements
Creamer Pitcher: 5.75 in. H x 3 in. W x 3.50 in. D, including handle.
Lidded Sugar Pot: 4.25 in. H x 2.875 in. W x 4 in. D, including handle.

The pieces retain the surface character associated with hand-worked vintage metalware, including variations to the silver-plated finish, patination, oxidation, scratches and signs of age and use visible in the photographs. These characteristics contribute to the tactile quality and vintage character of the set.

Mexico, circa 1960s. See less