Catalog: Estate Jewelry: Cufflinks and Accessories: Silver (57)

A fine and very early pair of silver cufflinks in the “Maya” pattern by Margot de Taxco. Margot established her own studio in 1948. The “Maya” pattern, displaying a strongly-featured native Mexican man in profile, became one of her iconic designs. The cufflinks are generously sized and retain a nice patina. The backs of the faces are stamped with marks used before the introduction of the eagle system in 1948, so the cufflinks can be dated to a very early date for Margot.

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1948. Condition: excellent; sharp detail. Size: 1” x 3/4”. Weight: 13.6 grams.

A handsome, inventive pair of modernist silver cufflinks with opaque black champleve enamel faces by Meka Reklamegaver (1951-89). The black enamel is pierced with overlapping elongated silver teardrops. The connectors are marked “Meka Sterling Denmark”.

Origin: Holte, Denmark, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, no enamel damage. Size: 7/8” x 9/16”. Weight: 11.4 grams.

A nice pair of mid-century Mexican sterling silver cufflinks, the triangular faces set with amethysts carved to depict an ancient Aztec mask. The style of carving suggests either Abraham Paz or Fred Davis as the likely maker. The backs are marked "Plata Sterling 925".

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, all original. Dimensions: faces, 11/16" x 11/16". Weight: 8.1 gr.

A wonderful pair of Modernist sterling silver cufflinks from Taxco, the center of Mexican silver jewelry production in the 20th century. The design is strongly geometric, but has an organic quality as well--almost like a leaf shape. The interiors are nicely oxidized to contrast with the appliqued silver spheres. The backs are hallmarked with the "3M" mark attributed to Miguel Melendez' output from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Melendez was a master silversmith and worked as a designer for many of Taxco's most important makers such as Margot.

Origin: Mexico, ca. 1960. Condition: excellent, all original, beautiful patina. Size: 1-1/4" x 13/16". Weight: 18.0 grams.

A fine pair of modernist silver cufflinks by master Danish designer Niels Erik From. The large concave round faces are each set with a round amber cabochon in a dark reddish-orange color approaching that of cherry amber. The cabochons are set at the edges to create a very modern, assymetrical look. From moved away from traditional Scandinavian design in the 1960’s with very bold, angular designs such as this. The connectors are marked “Sterling/Denmark/N.E. From/925S”.

Origin: Nakskov, Denmark, ca. 1965. Condition: excellent, polished. Size: 7/8” diameter. Weight: 11.5 grams.

Outstanding late Art Nouveau Continental silver cufflinks with a wonderful design of a gold spider sitting in her niello web. The workmanship and design is quite original and accomplished. The backs are marked with unidentified Continental (possibly German) marks, including the jeweler’s mark “HF”.

Origin: Europe, circa 1900. Condition: excellent, all original, no enamel damage. Size: 27/32” x 15/32”. Weight: 5.5 grams.

A nice pair of sterling silver cufflinks with an subtle Art Deco engraved floral motif. The solid connectors are joined to hinged backs. Each connector is stamped with Polish sterling marks and an unidentified maker's mark.

Origin: Poland, ca. 1986 (the pattern is likely from the 1920s). Condition: excellent; sharp detail; unpolished. Dimensions: 13/16" x 1/2". Weight: 10.6 gr.

A pair of vintage sterling silver cufflinks by Hermes. The double baton faces are engraved in a tree bark motif and are connected by chains. Each cufflink is signed “Hermes†and bears appropriate French silver marks. They are also stamped with the silversmith’s hallmark. This is an early design that hasn't been in production in 80 years or more.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: cufflinks, excellent; box, excellent. Dimensions: faces, 13/16†long. Weight: 14.9 gr.

A classic pair of Art Deco double-sided cufflinks featuring high-domed cabochons of carnelian and aventurine quartz set simply in silver collets. The faces are joined with removable connectors. The color contrast of the gems is rather striking. The faces are marked “830”.

Scandinavia (excluding Denmark), ca. 1930. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: faces, 1/2” diameter. Weight: 7.5 gr. Approximate Total Gemstone Weight: carnelian, 9.72 cts; aventurine, 12.18 cts.

An attractive pair of Scandinavian .835 silver cufflinks, the oval faces set with amber cabochons with silver ropework borders. The amber is a light orangey-honey color with excellent clarity. The solid connectors are marked only “835” for the silver content and “3” for a pattern number.

Origin: Scandinavian or Baltic region, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4” x 19/32”. Weight: 10.5 grams.

A pair of truly exceptional Shakudo cufflinks, the faces being a matched pair of mixed-metal plaques representing all the signs of the Chinese and Japanese Zodiac, including tigers, boars, dragons, rats, roosters, rabbits, snakes, oxen, dogs, monkeys, sheep and horses. The detail work is amazing and the design is one of the most complex we've seen. The plaques are mounted on custom-fitted 950 silver backs with toggle mechanisms. The shakudo plaques date to the 19th century Meiji period and the silver fittings are around 1950.

Origin: Japan. Condition: excellent, original patina, sharp detail. Dimensions: 1-1/4" x 5/8". Weight: 12.2 grams.

A superb pair of double-sided Art Deco silver cufflinks by E. Besseire & Cie. The hexagonal faces are decorated with red, green and black blocks of opaque champlevé enamels highlighted with silver shield-shaped and squiggle accents. The faces are connected bychains. The backs of each face are marked with Besseire’s maker’s mark and with assay marks for silver.

Origin: France, ca. 1930. Condition: excellent; no enamel damage (the green enamel has some porosity visible under magnification that is original to the making). Size: 17/32” diameter. Weight: 7.9 grams.

An attractive pair of late Victorian sterling silver cufflinks decorated with Classical medallion in the Shiebler style. The medallions depict a Greco-Roman youth and maiden. The edges are irregularly beveled to suggest antiquity. The faces are connected to baton-style backs decorated a simple foliate pattern. The connectors are marked “Sterling.”

Origin: America, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: faces, 5/8” x 5/8”. Weight: 8.0 gr.

Nice vintage sterling silver cufflinks, the faces decorated with an appliqued anchor and chain. The toggle backs are hinged so that the faces lie flat against the cuff. The toggles are marked "Sterling" and also have a patent number for the toggle mechanism.

Origin: America, ca. 1950. Condition: excellent, all original. Size: 11/16" x 11/16". Weight: 15.25 grams.

An elegant pair of vintage sterling silver and rosewood inlaid cufflinks by an unknown Taxco maker. The geometric positive and negative space design and is finely executed. The backs are marked “Mexico 925” and have the maker’s registry number “TS-15.”

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• Origin: Taxco, Mexico, circa 1980.
• Dimensions: 29/32” x 5/8” (23 x 16 mm).
• Weight: 14.8 grams.
• Condition: excellent.

A fine pair of modernist sterling silver cufflinks featuring South Sea black pearls by Ted Lowy. The pearls have dark gray body color with very pronounced and desirable peacock overtones in rose, green and purple. The backs are marked “Sterling/Ted Lowy”. Lowy was active in South Orange, NJ during the 1960’s and 70’s. He is still living, now aged 93. He was not especially prolific and his pieces rarely come on the market. He exhibited at New York’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in 1961, but little else is known about his career.

Origin: America, ca. 1970. Condition: excellent. Size: 3/4" diameter. Weight: 11.4 grams.

Colorful Victorian silver gilt double-sided cufflinks featuring beautifully patterned malachite cabochons. The gilt silver borders are finished in a classic laurel wreath design. The removable connectors are marked for 800 silver.

• Origin: Continental Europe, ca. 1880
• Condition: excellent, original gilding intact
• Dimensions: 5/8" wide

Very nice Victorian sterling silver doubled-faced cufflinks decorated with Classical medallions in the Shiebler style. The medallions depict are Greek in style and depict and adult man and a youth in profile. The backgrounds are stippled and the edges are beveled and irregularly shaped to suggest antiquity. The backs are marked "Sterling".

Origin: America, circa 1880. Condition: excellent, very sharp detail. Size: approximately 7/8" diameter. Weight: 12.5 grams.