Description
c1940 Early Matl 930 silver cross pendant. Late 30‘s-early 40‘s. No issues, weight and measurements in pics. Selling pendant and giving necklace free with it. This isn‘t as big or fancy as some of the later crosses, but I believe it‘s rare if not one of a kind and likely made by Poulat herself.
Also known by her jewelry studio name MATL, Matilde Poulat was a Mexican silversmith and jewelry designer. Best known for her exquisite and intricate necklaces, Matilde was an exceptional craftsman, fashioning handset pieces that alternate between opulent and ebullient. Poulats career took off when she launched her studio in 1934. Only a decade later she would set the tone for the rest of the industry, inspiring silversmiths in Mexico, California, and beyond to copy her designs. These pieces have come to be synonymous with the name MATL, even when they arent made by Poulat, often being described as Matl-esque.
That said, there is only one Matilde Poulat and her pieces are ultimately un-copyable. Starting as a painter, Matilde brought much of her colorful aesthetic to the jewelry making business, coming up with designs that absolutely pop with fresh colors of the American Southwest and Mexico. Matl pieces were extremely popular during Poulats lifetime, and that demand has only increased as the years have gone by. These pieces of jewelry are considered extremely rare and many dont see the open market, making any upcoming Poulat auctions something to watch out for.
Matilde Poulat was a Mexican jeweler and silversmith whose pieces were famed for their ornateness and their color. Best known for the work she did with her own studio, MATL, a Poulat necklace shows two things: perfect knowledge of silversmith craftsmanship and a whimsical, fun side to jewelry that to that point hadnt been explored. That whimsy made MATL an extremely popular brand during her lifetime. It was impossible to get a Poulat piece for many years. Utilizing opal, amethysts, and one-of-a-kind pyramidal designs, Poulat was able to create pieces that had never been thought of, let alone created, before by a jewelry maker. Her practice was continued by her nephew, Ricardo Salas, upon her death in 1960.
