Early 20th Century German Silver & Enamel Eagle & Serpent Vesta Case Arms of Mexico

An early 20th century German silver and enamel Vesta Case of curved rounded rectangular form with sprung hinged lid and attached suspension ring, the face with inset oval enamel panel depicting a Coat of Arms of Mexico.

By Louis Kuppenheim, Pforzheim, Germany c1905.

The coat of arms of Mexico is a national symbol of Mexico and depicts a Mexican (golden) eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. The design is rooted in the legend that the Aztec people would know where to build their city once they saw an eagle eating a snake on top of a lake. The image has been an important symbol of Mexican politics and culture for centuries. To the people of Tenochtitlan, this symbol had strong religious connotations, and to the Europeans, it came to symbolize the triumph of good over evil (with the snake sometimes representative of the serpent in the Garden of Eden).

Reserved - £250.00