Line Vautrin gilded bronze brooch "Les Grenouilles"
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:Bronze
- Weight:95 g
- Dimensions:Width: 4.14 in (105 mm)Length: 13 in (330 mm)
- Style:Modern
- Place of Origin:France
- Period:1950-1959
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Bruxelles, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2490221115062
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: Bruxelles, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Line Vautrin "Colombe" BroochBy Line VautrinLocated in Bruxelles, BEExquisite gild-bronze brooch designed by Line Vautrin representing a dove executed in an abstract/cubist manner. ca 1950' Line Vautrin (1913-1997) was a French jewelry maker, design...Category
Vintage 1950s French Arts and Crafts Brooches
MaterialsBronze, Gilt Metal
- Line Vautrin Silvered Bronze Necklace "Entrelacs" 'Tracery' 1950'By Line VautrinLocated in Bruxelles, BEBehold a captivating masterpiece designed by the renowned French artist Line Vautrin (1913-1997). This intriguing and beautiful bronze silvered necklace from the 1950s showcases Vaut...Category
Vintage 1950s French Arts and Crafts Link Necklaces
MaterialsSilver, Bronze
- Vivianna Torun Bülow-hube 18ct Gold Necklace #904 Designed for Georg JensenBy Vivianna Torun Bülow-HübeLocated in Bruxelles, BEA very delicate and sensual neck ring designed around 1970's by Vivianna Torun (1927-2004) , the most famous Swedish goldsmith. A 18ct neckring is referenced under #904 in the origi...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Modernist Choker Necklaces
MaterialsCultured Pearl, 18k Gold
- Claude Gilli, Artist Jewellery, Silver PendantLocated in Bruxelles, BELarge silver pendant depicting four pouring paint pots. Created around 1970' ; Marked : Gilli, artist stamp in a losange, French silver stamp Cl...Category
Vintage 1970s French Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsSilver
- Pol Bury Yellow gold kinetic bracelet "Spheres" 1985By Pol BuryLocated in Bruxelles, BEA rare Kinetic artist jewel. A 18ct gold open bracelet decorated with mobile spheres designed by famous Belgian artist Pol Bury (1922 - 2005). Edited by ArtCurial Paris in 1985. Art...Category
Vintage 1980s French Modern Modern Bracelets
MaterialsYellow Gold
- Astrid Fog for Georg Jensen Silver Hematite Ring #166By Georg JensenLocated in Bruxelles, BECa 1970’s Sterling silver - Hematite Rare Model #166 designed by Astrid Fog for Georg Jensen Diam 3,4 cm (1,34 inches) Size 53 Marked ...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Modernist Cocktail Rings
MaterialsHematite, Silver
- Line Vautrin "La Manif" Gilt Bronze BroochBy Line VautrinLocated in New York, NYGilt brooch by Line Vautrin (1913-1997), circa 1945-46. The design is known as ...Category
Vintage 1950s French Artisan Brooches
MaterialsBronze, Gilt Metal, Gold Plate, Brass
- 1950's Line Vautrin Gilded Bronze Wearable Art Flower PinBy Line VautrinLocated in Toronto, Ontario1950's Line Vautrin gilded bronze and enamel pin. An every day lapel sized pin designed by the renowned metal worker known for her wearable art. Fashioned in a floral shape, it featu...Category
Vintage 1950s French Modern Brooches
MaterialsBronze
- Line Vautrin "L'Eclipse" BroochLocated in New York, NYRare and charming Line Vautrin "L'Eclipse" Brooch in cast bronze. Circa 1940's France. Signed L.V. 2.5" x 1.5 x .5". Excellent condition.Category
Vintage 1940s French Artisan Brooches
MaterialsBronze
- Line Vautrin 1940s Art Deco Articulated Gilt Bronze Seahorse BroochBy Line VautrinLocated in University City, MOLine Vautrin 1940s Art Deco articulated gilt bronze seahorse brooch (Attributed) The incredibly rare figural brooch is designed with a stylized gilt b...Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Brooches
MaterialsBronze, Gilt Metal
- Line Vautrin Surreal Eye BroochBy Line VautrinLocated in New York, NYUnusual surrealist eye brooch by Line Vautrin, France from the 1950s. Signature "mosaics" of mirrored glass panels cut to form "eye" and set in Talosel resi...Category
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Brooches
- Line Vautrin Mirror Mosaic Flower Bouquet BroochBy Line VautrinLocated in New York, NYUnusual Floral bouquet brooch by Line Vautrin, France from the 1950s. Signature "mosaics" of rose color mirrored glass rounds cut to form flowerheads and set in Talosel resin backed ...Category
Vintage 1950s French Brooches
MaterialsGold Plate, Gilt Metal