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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.

Average Sold Price
$14,711
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Materials
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Line Vautrin pair of déchiquetée talosel resin mirrors 1960
By Line Vautrin
Located in Paris, IDF
Rare set of two “déchiquetée” talosel resin mirrors made by Line Vautrin in the mid-1960s. They are both untouched, with their original mirrors. The talosel resin has been patinated ...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Line Vautrin

Materials

Glass

Choker Talosel necklace (Model called Reine de Saba) by Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Uccle, BE
Choker Talosel necklace with inlaid mirror decorations (Model called Reine de Saba) by Line Vautrin. Light beige Talosel necklace inlaid with mirrors in shades of pink. Named by the ...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Line Vautrin

Materials

Mirror, Talosel

Star-Shaped Talosel Brooch By Line Vautrin, France / C.1960
By Line Vautrin
Located in Montréal, QC
Designer : Line Vautrin Design Period : 20th Century Materials : Talosel Condition : Vintage , shows signs of wear and imperfections. Description : Line Vautrin was a French artist ...
Category

20th Century French Line Vautrin

Materials

Talosel

Pair of Cufflinks By Line Vautrin / C.1960
By Line Vautrin
Located in Montréal, QC
Designer : Line Vautrin Design Period : 20th Century Materials : Talosel Condition : Vintage , shows signs of wear and imperfections. Description : Line Vautrin was a French artist...
Category

20th Century French Line Vautrin

Materials

Brass

Pair of Cufflinks By Line Vautrin / C.1960
Pair of Cufflinks By Line Vautrin / C.1960
Free Shipping
H 0.7 in Dm 0.7 in
'Gerbera' Mirror
By Line Vautrin
Located in Paris, FR
Signed on the back 'Line Vautrin' Black Talosel (resin), red mirrors inlaid and curved mirror.
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Line Vautrin

Materials

Art Glass, Talosel

'Gerbera' Mirror
'Gerbera' Mirror
H 8.27 in Dm 8.27 in
"Gribiche" Mirror
By Line Vautrin
Located in Paris, FR
Signed 'LINE VAUTRIN' on the back Curved mirror "Gerbera" model in talosel imitating torture scales, inlaid with silvered mirror fragments.
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Line Vautrin

Materials

Talosel

"Gribiche" Mirror
"Gribiche" Mirror
H 6.89 in W 6.89 in D 0.79 in
Chardon Mirror
By Line Vautrin
Located in Paris, FR
Signed by Line VAUTRIN and numbered X Beige Talosel and fragments of mirrors with a tarnished gold finish, modeled and hot-incrusted. Convex mirror of origin.
Category

20th Century French Art Deco Line Vautrin

Materials

Talosel

Chardon Mirror
Chardon Mirror
H 8.67 in W 8.67 in D 0.79 in
Il pleure dans mon coeur (It's crying in my heart) by Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Uccle, BE
Il pleure dans mon coeur (He is crying in my heart), by Line Vautrin. Gilded bronze compact whose lid is decorated with a poem by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) published in the collectio...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Line Vautrin

Materials

Bronze

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Line Vautrin furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Line Vautrin furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Line Vautrin furniture, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Line Vautrin were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Jacques Blin, Accolay Pottery, and La Borne Potters. Prices for Line Vautrin furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $888 and can go as high as $438,271, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $9,993.

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