Matilde Eugenia Poulat (1900-1960) was a Mexican painter and painting teacher who turned her attention to fine silver jewelry design. Poulat's designs were inspired from religion and pre-European folk art. She became internationally known in the 1940s, during a time where she accentuated ancient styles and gemstones like amethyst, turquoise and coral into her designs. Poulat's nephew, Ricardo Salas, began working at her silversmith operation at age 11, then took over her tradition when she died in 1960. It's noted how difficult it is to differentiate his pieces from hers, but Salas' pieces are usually marked with his name and MS-12. Poulat's pieces are usually marked with MATL and the Eagle stamp 129.