Marco

NameTin frame

Artist Isleta Tinsmith

CultureNew Mexican

Date1890 - 1910

Place madeNew Mexico, United States, North America

Mediumtin, glass, paper, , paint, solder, glitter, gold paint

DimensionsOverall: 12 13/16 x 12 7/8 in. (32.5 x 32.7 cm)

Credit LineGift of Steve and Dottie Diamant

Object numberA.2005.49.11

Collections

Provenancethe collection of Steve and Dottie Diamant, owners of Fine Arts of the Southwest

DescriptionThis small tin marco has fan-shaped corner pieces that are embossed with a rosette, a wavy line, and a row of dots. An acanthus leaf on each side also has an embossed rosette and a row of dots around the edge. The lunette/corona on top has three rosettes (likely signifying the Holy Trinity) and an embossed edge. All of the tin has been painted or aersol painted gold on the front. In the center is a black and white French lithograph under glass with some faded blue hand-painting (likely done by the tinsmith) that depicts the Virgin Mary (Marie) in a large oval in the center and in eight smaller scenes depicting stories from her life. The title at the bottom is "La Salutation Angelique/La Salutacion angelica" and the publisher is unidentified, but this is most likely a lithograph that was imported from France. Four glass panels frame the lithograph are reverse-painted with a layer of red paint on the bottom facing the viewer, and white paint on top showing through the brush stroke relief in the red paint. Gold glitter has been applied on the edge of tin around the lithograph, and had to have been applied after 1948, when glitter became commercially available. The original cloth hanger is still on the back, seen on many of this artist's works. The original soldering is intact and the lithograph is original to the tinwork.

This tin marco is attributable to the Isleta tinsmith, an anonymous tinsmith working at Isleta Pueblo from about 1890 to about 1920, who is remembered by oral history at Isleta Pueblo as simply "The Mexican." The embossed rosettes and reverse-painted glass are indicative of this artist's work. - Carla Gilfillan