Sterling silver hand-mill rolled sheet and drawn wire from ingot were used to create this Maya necklace. The six nude female forms were shaped and defined, individually utilizing classic repousse techniques. The completed forms were backed with silver sheet, cut to fit. A deep, round bezel was soldered to each figure's left side and hip, leaving a dip at the waist open. Each nude is linked to the next with round wire links. These links attach to a hand-made chain, at the back, fitted with a double hook closure.
The bezels are open at the back. High-domed, round amethysts were set in a manner calculated to allow light and the wearer's skin to illuminate each cabochon's color, a feature credited to the skilled Mexican silversmiths who realized Harmon's designs.
"Maya" has other names. She is a goddess. In Hindu, Maya mean illusion. As Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu (who is the personification of the absolute), she has divine power of the "Overmind", where the two hemispheres part. In Egyptian Arabic "Ixchel" is water, goddess of childbirth, medicine and all fertility.
Description | Sterling silver hand-mill rolled sheet and drawn wire from ingot were used to create this Maya necklace. The six nude female forms were shaped and defined, individually utilizing classic repousse techniques. The completed forms were backed with silver sheet, cut to fit. A deep, round bezel was soldered to each figure's left side and hip, leaving a dip at the waist open. Each nude is linked to the next with round wire links. These links attach to a hand-made chain, at the back, fitted with a double hook closure. The bezels are open at the back. High-domed, round amethysts were set in a manner calculated to allow light and the wearer's skin to illuminate each cabochon's color, a feature credited to the skilled Mexican silversmiths who realized Harmon's designs. "Maya" has other names. She is a goddess. In Hindu, Maya mean illusion. As Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu (who is the personification of the absolute), she has divine power of the "Overmind", where the two hemispheres part. In Egyptian Arabic "Ixchel" is water, goddess of childbirth, medicine and all fertility.
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About the Artist | 20th century American jewelry designer, originally trained in Paris. Harmon worked briefly in Taxco, Mexico having moved there in approximately 1942. There he designed silver jewelry without a trace of Mexican motifs. His maker's mark was a pair of feet with wings. Three important fashion designers worked with Harmon: Schiaparelli, Jean Patou and Elizabeth Arden. |
Culture | USA |
Style | Modernist |
Medium | Sterling silver and amethyst cabohons |
Troy ounces | 1.08 troy ounces |
Size | 15 1/2" overall length. Each figure is 1" height X 1 1/2" length. Cabochons are 3/8" diameter. |
Signed | "Hubert Harmon, Sterling, Made in Mexico" |
Date of creation | Mid 20th century |
Condition | Excellent |
Description | Believed to promote serenity and spiritual balance, amethysts help to clear the mind. |
Design | Amethysts symbolize unification and peace. |
Provenance | J Cur |
Gram weight | 33.5 grams |