Marqueta Fragment
This object is most likely a fragment of a marqueta, a wedge-shaped lump of an alloy of silver (92.2%) and mercury (7.2%)—produced during the Patio process, a technique used to extract silver from ore by means of mercury. This truncated object, originally classified as a mace or hatchet fragment, is now recognized as a fragment of pressed silver amalgam that was not fully distilled, and thus retains some of the mercury. In addition to silver and mercury, this marqueta has traces of antimony (0.3%), arsenic (0.4%), and lead (
Artwork Details
- Title:Marqueta Fragment
- Date:19th century
- Geography:Mexico, Mesoamerica, Sonora
- Culture:Mexican
- Medium:Silver amalgam
- Dimensions:H. 4 1/4 × L. 3 3/4 in. (10.8 × 9.5 × 9.5 cm)
- Classification:Metal-Implements
- Credit Line:Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1890
- Object Number:90.31
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing
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ca. 1840
late 19th century
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