LG Treasures circa 1945-1950 Line Vautrin 'Saint Nicholas' Gilt Bronze Necklace
View Similar Items
LG Treasures circa 1945-1950 Line Vautrin 'Saint Nicholas' Gilt Bronze Necklace
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Weight:92 g
- Dimensions:Height: 2.13 in (54 mm)Width: 1.74 in (44 mm)Depth: 0.36 in (9 mm)Diameter: 14.97 in (380 mm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:c. 1945-1950
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU46033079433
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.
- 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
- line vautrin pendantBy Line VautrinLocated in Palm Beach, FLIcone pendant Sign Line Vautrin hand made in 1940 in bronze.Category
Vintage 1940s Pendant Necklaces
MaterialsBronze
- Guy Laroche Gilt Metal Collar Necklace with Geometric MedallionBy Guy LarocheLocated in Atlanta, GAThis impressive modernist Guy Laroche Paris signed medallion necklace features a rigid gilt metal collar with a massive gilt metal medallion. The metal medallion is dimensional with ...Category
1990s French Modernist Choker Necklaces
MaterialsGilt Metal
- A sculpted gilt metal necklace, Yves Saint Laurent, France, 1980sBy Maison Goossens for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Greyabbey, County DownA very striking and strong design from Yves Saint Laurent, this necklace is highly wearable and versatile. Made by Maison Goossens for Yves Saint Laurent in the 1980s, it is very much of that time yet classic and timeless, still strong and striking, easliy wearable with casual, as with evening and other. Yves Saint Laurent at his best! Yves Saint Laurent was born in 1936, and became one of the 20th Century’s most famous and prolific fashion designers. Finding himself at the head of the House of Dior, after Dior’s death, from 1957 until 1960, his first collection there certainly turned the fortunes of the couture house and launched a stellar career for himself. Accessories had always held an important place in his work, and he became highly prolific in this field, taking on certain designers, notably Loulou De La Falaise, who took charge of accessories as well as being a celebrated muse for Laurent himself. The diversity of YSL jewellery...Category
Vintage 1980s French Choker Necklaces
MaterialsGilt Metal
- Yves Saint Laurent Paris Gilt Metal Link Choker NecklaceBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Atlanta, GACharming Yves Saint Laurent Paris signed choker necklace. Large gilt metal link worked chain with geometric front medallion. "S" hook fastening with chain for necklace length flexibi...Category
Vintage 1980s French Modernist Choker Necklaces
MaterialsGilt Metal
- YVES SAINT LAURENT Logo Geometric NecklaceBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Scottsdale, AZDon't miss out on this electric 80's piece of art! This Yves Saint Laurent necklace will bring out your edgy side. It features a full neckline of geometric shapes embossed and engrav...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Choker Necklaces