Roberto Matta, known simply as Matta, was a major figure in 20th century abstract expressionism and surrealism. Born in Santiago, Chile, in 1911, Matta spent most of his life abroad, in New York and Paris, before finally settling in Italy. Best known for what he called his “inscapes” or landscapes of the mind and “physical morphologies,” Matta developed a unique artistic language that bridged the natural and supernatural worlds. His works reflect an interest in psychoanalysis, spiritualism, and ancient tribal traditions. The featured necklace is an extension of these ideas; Cacastrello, a play on the Italian word “Pipistrello,” meaning “bat,” features three gold pendants in the form of bats, their eyes inlaid with rubies and diamonds. Regarded as symbols of death and rebirth, bats occupy an important place in spiritual and mystical traditions. As creatures of the night with the ability to see in darkness, bats represent the intuitive as opposed to the rational world, and as such, they were particularly appealing to Matta.