This handmade creation is offered in partnership with NOVICA, in association with National Geographic. Evoking Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent, Francisco Sanchez creates hoops with the sinuous two-headed snake. With his light hair and blue eyes, conquistador Hernan Cortes was thought by some Aztec soothsayers to be Quetzalcoatl himself. This facilitated the downfall of the Aztec empire. Sanchez immortalizes the image in sterling silver.
Product Features:
- Dimensions: 1.9" L x 1.4" W
- Weight: 0.35 oz
- Color: Silver
- Style: Hoop
- Metal: 925 Sterling silver
- Metal weight: 10 grams
- Finish: High polish
- Clasp: Saddle back / Sea catch
- Made in Mexico
Story Behind the Art:
My designs are inspired by pre-Hispanic codices and the folklore of my country that I love so much?Hello, my name is Francisco Sanchez and I am the second generation of jewelers in my family. Today there are three, as my daughters have also chosen this vocation. Thanks to my father's influence, I began this beautiful occupation at a very early age. Art has formed a part of my life through my studies in architecture, painting, sculpture and jewelry. I was honored with a scholarship to study Foreign Trade in Rotterdam, Holland. In 1968, I founded a small workshop that I still direct and I personally design my pieces. I have exhibited my work in the U.S., Taipei, Munich, Vancouver and other countries. I have received several awards throughout my career, such as the Jalisco Award in Jewelry Design in 2000.
My designs are inspired by pre-Hispanic codices and the folklore of my country that I love so much, using different motifs from our own culture. I very much like the ideas from our ancestors, always with a characteristic stylization reminiscent of our cultural and artisan past. I especially enjoy designing jewelry. I am always looking for something different to incorporate into my ideas, striving to be at the vanguard in the styles with which I deal. To create my jewelry, I first take a prototype of the design. I make a model with brass. It is mounted on a silver sheet, covered with a gummy paint, and burned in a petroleum flame to smoke the design. It is cleaned of impurities and polished. Each product that I design and craft is made of fine silver with Italian alloys and anti-oxidants to exceed the expectations of the most demanding clients. Francisco Sanchez signs his work as Citlali, meaning Star in the Nahuatl language. That way, everyone wearing my designs has a star to accompany them, explains Sanchez.
All weights and measurements are approximate and may vary slightly from the listed information.
Please allow 10 business days for the product to leave our warehouse and to receive tracking information. You should expect to receive this item within 15 business days.