Authentic Vintage Mexican Milagro Charm Silver Necklace

This one-of-a-kind vintage silver necklace is a beautiful example of the traditional "Milagro" (miracle) religious talisman or amulet jewelry from Mexico. Traditionally, the charms are often left at the altars of saints when making prayer requests or worn for protection and here are strung as a necklace. The mix of animal and human symbols is playful and evokes our deep connection to earth and its creatures. The individual Milagros are beautifully carved and wonderfully expressive. In excellent vintage pre-owned condition, this rare necklace measures 15 inches in length. The Milagro charms dangle from a unique open double-link chain, which is interspersed with carved silver beads strung directly in the chain. The center charm measures 1.75 inches in length by 1 inch in width with the smaller Milagros measuring between 0.5 and 1.0 inches in length. Purchased this necklace at an ethnic arts gallery in the late 1980s, I don’t know the exact composition of metal as it is likely silver-plated base metals. There is some tarnish on the chain along the neck area, and the center deer charm shows areas of brass- or copper-colored metal as if the silver has worn off in those areas; there is also a hairline crack on the backside of the neck of the central deer charm (see photos.) Details: *15 inches in length (chain is 26” long in total) *unknown, mixed silver and silver-plated metals *vintage *handmade in Mexico