HA045 Vintage Hector Aguilar ‘Maguey’ 990 silver bracelet, circa-1940s
Origin:  Taxco, Mexico
Dimensions:  7" x 1.18"; 99.4 gm
Condition: Excellent
Provenance:  Private Collection
Price:  $2,850.00

Coveted, collectible "Old Maguey" bracelet rendered in nearly pure silver with time-buffed incandescence.  Aguilar’s impeccable design appears as Plate I-103 in Penny Morrill’s Silver Masters of Mexico, p. 62.  The first of Aguilar’s two variations on the maguey theme, the bracelet alternates butterfly links with a scored dome representing the heart of the maguey or agave plant.  The maguey was central to the Aztec economy, mythology, and religious rituals. Its tough fibers were woven into clothing and made into paper; its edible fruit served as a nourishing snack. And from ancient times, fermented juice from the heart of the maguey was used to make pulque, a milky alcoholic brew ritually quaffed by Aztec priests and their sacrificial victims, or guzzled by nobles and warriors celebrating victory.  Souls of “happy warriors” were said to return in the guise of a butterfly, bringing luck to those they visited. Aztec nobility carried lavish bouquets of flowers to attract these butterfly luck-bringers.  The Huntress has always adored the pulque-esque buzz she gets when wearing this celebrated design, surrounding its wearer with luck, beauty, and a happy, happy glow.