Juvento Lopez Reyes was a well-known Mexican silversmith, highly sought after for his superb designs and quality workmanship among silver collectors. He worked at Maciel and opened his own workshop “Plateria del Recero” in 1935. He had an international reputation for creating some of the best handcrafted silver flatware and holloware of the mid 20th century.

Provenance:

This stunning Sterling Juvento Reyes bowl was a gift from then (1942-46) Mexican Ambassador George Strausser Messersmith* and his wife Marion Mustard Messersmith to Marion’s brother, Lewis West Mustard and his wife Edith Low Babson Mustard the daughter of famed economist and philanthropist, Roger Ward Babson (see web for more info).. 

*George Strausser Messersmith (October 3, 1883 – January 29, 1960) had a long and illustrious carreer serving as a United States ambassador to Austria, Cuba, Mexico, and Argentina. Messersmith also served as head of the US Consulate in Germany from 1930 to 1934, during the rise of the Nazi Party.Messersmith became an early and ardent opponent of Nazism, was hated by Hitler and spent much time urging his diplomatic counterparts to abandon appeasement.

He was best known in his day for his controversial decision to issue a visa to Albert Einstein to travel to the United States. 

He is also known today for his diplomatic handling of then friend, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, later Duke and Duchess of Windsor (after the Kings abdication), in the era before World War II. During Messersmiths time as Minister to Austria (nominated by president Franklin Roossevelt), Messersmith often socialized with Edward and Wallis. After Edwards abdication and his marriage to Wallis and during their honeymoon in Vienna Austria, the Duchess confided in Messersmith about her bitterness toward American media asking for his help in restraining the press. During that time, he also learned of their connections with the Nazis and Hitler and informed the British authorities... causing many to speculate that the Duke & Duchess were involved in a plot with the Nazis to overthrow the British Crown (and thus regain the the throne that Edward had earlier abdicated).