Hector Aguilar (1905-1985) Mexican, Armadillo Suede Belt with Sterling Silver Buckle. The name comes from the shape of the buckle, which resembles the scales of the armadillo. Marked on back. 

Size: 15 x 4 in. 

Gross Weight: 6.54 ozt. 

#5255 . 

Hector Aguilar was born in 1905 in Taxco, Mexico, which was famous for its rich history of silver mining and jewelry making. From an early age he apprenticed to a local silversmith, learning traditional techniques and modern designs from European artisans who visited the area. In 1930 he began working for William Spratling at Taller de las Delicias, becoming the shop manager within a few years. Displaying remarkably sharp business acumen, he quickly gained the support and financial backing of several investors, including Valentin Viduarreta, a talented artist who collaborated with him on many of his early designs. In 1939 Aguilar opened his own workshop, Taller Borda, which quickly gained a reputation around the world for their high quality and unique designs. Aguilar was heavily influenced by the Art Deco and Modernist movements, but his incorporation of pre-Columbian motifs and Mexican cultural elements into his work set him apart from his peers. In 1943 wartime metal shortages in the United States gave Aguilar an opportunity to secure lucrative contracts with American costume jewelry firms, particularly Coro, and their handmade pieces flooded the market into the 1950s. In 1948 Aguilar expanded substantially, creating copper, tin, and carpentry workshops to augment his pieces, and his company rapidly became one of the premiere retail outlets in the country, selling sterling jewelry, holloware, flatware, and novelties as well as cabinets, light sconces, and much more. Aguilar retired to Zihuantanejo in 1966, but frequently consulted for the company until his death in 1985. The company closed the following year, and by that time his work was found internationally in high-end department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and many celebrities had his pieces in their collections. Today collectors seek out his works both for their historical significance and their unique aesthetic and stunning quality.