Modern Bird Motif Sterling Silver Necklace and Earrings Set Graziella Laffi

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A highly sculptural sterling silver jewelry suite consisting of a necklace with bird motif and a matching pair of earrings. … Read more A highly sculptural sterling silver jewelry suite consisting of a necklace with bird motif and a matching pair of earrings. The three-piece set was crafted by Peruvian silversmith and designer Grazielle Laffi (1923-2009), Lima, circa last quarter of 20th century. Marks to the back of the bird pendent and one of the earrings: PERU, 950. The chain linked necklace features a sculptural bird in the center, flanked by two slightly smaller birds and three geometrical links on each side, all in hollowed 3-D form. The bird was styled in an angular form reminiscent of the avian motifs found on many Pre-Columbian textiles from Nazca and Chimu cultures. The earrings are of the same bird form matching perfectly with the necklace. One earring branded "950" on the back and the other 'Peru". The set is strikingly modern with a nod to Peru's pre-Columbian culture and heritage. Unique in aesthetic, it has a subtle whimsical appeal as well.
The drop length of the necklace is about 12.5" as shown on the mannequin and it has a circumference of 26". It weights 146 grams (4.69 troy ounces). The earrings have screw-clip mechanism.
Sometimes known as the Spratling in Peru, Graziella Laffi was born in 1923 in Florence, Italy to Gino Laffi, a silversmith and artist. Following her family tradition, Graziella enrolled in master classes after elementary school, focusing on design and painting. She next attended Escuela de Bellas Artes de Puerta Romana for three years, where Gino taught, and then to the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, where she concentrated in architecture until the start of World War II. In 1947, Graziella, then twenty-four, immigrated with her parents to Peru. Gino later created a silversmith studio and showroom called Fabrica Laffi on Avenue Mexico, where Graziella initially learned her craft. The pre-Columbian culture in her adopted country inspired Graziella to travel and collect, which ultimately influence her design in the silver pieces. Graziella learned the metalworking techniques of the ancient Peruvian civilizations and rejected the current technology. She mostly used hammering, rolling and creating joints as the ancients do. As an ambassador of Peruvian culture, her work promoted the indigenous Peruvian art and rekindled the interest in its ancient heritage throughout South America, the United States and Europe. She exhibited her growing collection of Peruvian artifacts alongside silver work in Washington, D.C. and New York, including the American department store May Co. and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. In 1989, she held an exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi and also displayed her work at the Milan and Florence Biennale. Graziella exhibited her work extensively, yet it was not for sale. According to her unpublished autobiography, Graziella intended the collection to be on permanent display at an institution in Lima. That plan did not come to fruition. In 2002 Graziella presented a necklace to Queen Sofía of Spain, and most recently, since Graziella's death in 2009, twelve works entered the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). See less