Si tous les gars du monde… by Line Vautrin
About the Item
- Creator:Line Vautrin (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 0.12 in (3 mm)Diameter: 2.76 in (7 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1945
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Signed by stamping “L.V.” Very good condition4600.
- Seller Location:Brussels, BE
- Reference Number:
Line Vautrin
Celebrated as the “poetess of metal” by Vogue magazine, designer Line Vautrin’s provocative works, which span furniture and jewelry, are characterized by fanciful forms and technical excellence. An audacious decorative artist and intellectual during a time when women were expected to fall into traditional roles, her inspirational designs show her passion for literature, wordplay and mythological allegory.
Born in 1914, Vautrin possessed a sense of curiosity and keen observational skills that led her to start creating at an early age. A talented autodidact, she taught herself to work with metal while spending time in her family’s bronze foundry. Vautrin had already mastered the skills of casting, carving, gilding and polishing bronze by the time she was in her early teens, and introduced her first line of jewelry when she was only twenty years old, offering her unique brooches, belt clasps and buttons to a select group of customers. In 1937, Vautrin helmed a small booth at the Paris International Exposition, where she gained some notoriety for her handcrafted accessories. Around the same time, Vautrin worked briefly for Elsa Schiaparelli, a like-minded fashion designer whose achievements propelled her onto the cover of Time magazine in 1934.
Vautrin opened a modest boutique near the Champs-Élysées in the late 1930s. During World War II, she created playful and sophisticated necklaces, powder boxes, earrings and other items that gave her clientele a welcome respite from wartime hardships. There was great demand for Vautrin’s work, and she opened a larger shop on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 1946. Shortly thereafter, she opened her own atelier in Paris’s then run-down Marais district with her husband, interior decorator Jacques Armand Bonnaud. The neighborhood would later become world-famous for its boutiques and designer shops.
Vautrin’s boundless curiosity led her to constantly experiment with new materials and processes. In 1955, she perfected her technique with a new form of cellulose acetate resin, which she patented under the name Talosel. Vautrin used this material extensively to create complicated mirrored inlays, which became one of her signature motifs.
Throughout her life, Vautrin played with literary and religious iconography in her designs, drawing inspiration from common aphorisms, ancient world mythologies and alchemical principles. Her passion for symbology and the written word is reflected in her work, which often features intricate lettering and carefully rendered shapes and figures. Vautrin's pieces were imbued with her own sense of humor and love of fantasy.
In 1969, Vautrin closed her shop, and, alongside her daughter, Marie-Laure Bonnaud-Vautrin, opened a craft school to teach her innovative techniques to aspiring artists. Vautrin retired in 1980 but continued to create art from her apartment up until her death in 1997. Her individualism earned her a place among the most iconic creators of mid-century jewelry and decorative objects. Actress Brigitte Bardot and fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent became notable collectors of her work.
In 1992, Vautrin was recognized for her work in developing new decorative techniques by the Société d'Encouragement aux Métiers d’Art (later the Institut National des Métiers d’Art). Her designs were also celebrated by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, which held a retrospective of her works in 1999.
Find vintage Line Vautrin mirrors, decorative objects and collectibles on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Leuze-en-Hainaut, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Talosel long necklace by Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BETalosel long necklace inlaid with pink mirrors by Line Vautrin. As a pendant, three “arrows” supporting a ring on which tassels hang. The clasp fixed on two pellets. One of the Talos...Category
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- Brooch by Line Vautrin, Beige Talosel Encrusted with Violetts MirrorsBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEThis brooch by Line Vautrin is distinguished by its elegance and refinement, thanks to the inlay of rectangular purple mirrors arranged vertically. This arrangement creates a singula...Category
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- Bracelet by Line Vautrin – Beige Talosel Encrusted with Violetts MirrorsBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEThis beige Talosel bracelet has been meticulously hand-sculpted by scarification to create an organic shape reminiscent of the emblematic creations of Line Vautrin. Each link, there are seven in total, is adorned with purple mirrors subtly embedded in the Talosel to create a very shimmering and luminous effect that perfectly captures Line Vautrin’s poetic aesthetic. The small, irregularly shaped...Category
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- Brooch by Line Vautrin, Black Talosel Encrusted with Red MirrorsBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEThis Brooch in black Talosel encrusted with red mirrors in the shape of flower petals represents a very characteristic aesthetic of the work of Line Vautrin. This organic shape is d...Category
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- Frech Gilt and Silvered Necklace "Le Bélier" by Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA cast bronze necklace titled " "Le Bélier" (the Ram) by French Parisin art jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997). The ram necklace and its variations were con...Category
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- Bronze Brooch by Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA gilt bronze brooch by French art jewelry designer Line Vautrin (1913-1997) Untitled circa late 1940s. The brooch depicts a horn with twisted texture wrapped with articulated chains. No signature found. Provenance: From a former Collection of a Line Vautrin jewelry...Category
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- Bronze Brooch by Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA lovely brooch in gilt cast bronze made by French Parisian art jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997) circa 1940s. The brooch belongs to a collection called "The moon and the starts in th...Category
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- Gilt Bronze Brooch by Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA gilt bronze brooch "Moise ou la Traversee du Desert" by French Jeweler Line Vautrin, circa 1940s. The patinated surface features amazing details illustrating the biblical story of Moses crossing the desert out of Egypt...Category
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