Large Dragonfly Brooch

A larger dragonfly with tortoise-shell wings, this is the later of two versions of one of Spratling's most enduring brooch designs, distinguished by the way its silver wings sweep forward while the tortoise-shell wings sit perpendicular to the body, in contrast to the earlier version where both sets of wings swept back. The brooch is slightly larger than its predecessor. That documented evolution within a single model is the interest here, and the design is recorded across three references, including Morrill and Berk's "Mexican Silver" and Davis and Pack's "Mexican Jewelry."

The catalog record tracks the later version's commercial life: $2.80 in the 1958-59 wholesale catalog, rising to $3.20 by 1967. It was struck with both the WS script and WS script circle hallmarks.

The pairing of silver with tortoise shell belongs to Spratling's broader practice of contrasting metal with warm natural materials, the translucent shell catching light against the wings.

The ability to place this as the later, forward-swept variant, supported by catalog pricing and three references, makes it a well-documented example for collectors tracking the dragonfly's development across Spratling's third design period.