Silverwork was first produced in the Río de la Plata when precious metals started arriving from the high regions of Peru, setting off a syncretism of Indigenous techniques and the European legacy.In this mate gourd, I combine the organic shape of the squash with the tradition technique known as chapeo.Using ensembles of silver cloths found in Creole saddles, symbols of the pride and prestige of men from the countryside. Named after the pretal, an ornate breastplate often decorated with links and ties.The use of those elements in a free interpretation of a traditional Argentine object is an attempt to represent the gaucho spirit.

Handcrafted in San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca by the silversmith Pablo Falabella.