MP012 Vintage Matilde Poulat Matl sterling silver, amethyst, turquoise pendant; circa-1950 to 1960 (eagle 129)
Origin: Taxco, Mexico
Dimensions: 2” x 1.18”; chain 24”; 13.1 gm total
Condition: Excellent
Provenance: Consignment
Price: SOLD

MATL cross encrusted with turquoise and amethyst, embellished with beads and applied wire; hung from a vintage paperclip chain. Poulat’s use of color and lavish surface decoration reflect her early training as a painter and her fascination with Mexican folk art. Mexico’s culture recognizes the cross as a powerful symbol from both ancient Mayan and Spanish colonial perspectives. MATL crosses tap into both cultural traditions with the charm and imagination that inspired William Spratling, an early admirer, to characterize Matilde Poulat’s creations as “intensely Mexican and intensely her own.”