Pair of Bronze and Enamel Earrings Line Vautrin
About the Item
- Creator:Line Vautrin (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 1.45 in (3.69 cm)Depth: 0.2 in (5.08 mm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Mellow patina. Handmade with slightly uneven enamel as shown.
- Seller Location:Atlanta, GA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU945024926772
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: Atlanta, GA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Pair of Bronze and Enamel Earrings Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA pair of bespoken earrings by French Art Jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997). The cast bronze earring features a sculptural design that evokes an archaic form with shell like scroll an...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- 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
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- French Bronze Brooch Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA gilt bronze brooch in sculptural form called Le Char de la lune (The Chariot of the Moon) circa 1945-1955 by French Art Jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997). A long pin on the back and...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- 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
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- French Bronze Brooch Line VautrinBy Line VautrinLocated in Atlanta, GAA cast bronze brooch by French Parisian Art Jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997) circa 1950s. The small lovely bronze pieces features a medallion insignia design with olive branch wreath...Category
Vintage 1950s French Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze, Enamel
- 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
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- Flèche et Carquois by Line Vautrin, Pair of Gilt Bronze EarringsBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEAbout Flèche et Carquois (Arrow and Quiver) by Line Vautrin Rare pair of gilt bronze earrings. One of the earrings represents an arrow which is placed on the side of the ear and gi...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of Pins Earring by Line Vautrin, Talosel Gold MirrorsBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEThese square earrings have been handcrafted and scarified in beige Talosel. The natural color of this material allows the small golden mirrors to shine even more intensely. Small go...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsMirror, Talosel
- Vache Grasse, Vache Maigre by Line Vautrin, Pair of Gilt Bronze BroochesBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEPair of gilt bronze brooches. The first represents a lean cow in a medallion, the second a fat cow. Allusion to the fact that cows lose weight whe...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- Line Vautrin, Bronze Brooch circa 1950, SignedBy Line VautrinLocated in Saint-Ouen, FRLine Vautrin, bronze brooch circa 1950, signed.Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze
- Ramses by Line Vautrin - Gilt bronze braceletBy Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BE“Ramses” Gilt bronze bracelet enhanced with red enamel by Line Vautrin. Above each link depicting a serekh, a monumental palace door, a falcon and a sleeping falcon alternately. (Hor...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze, Enamel
- Berthe Aux Grandes Pieds, Gilded Bronze Necklace, Line Vautrin 'France'By Line VautrinLocated in Brussels, BEThis gilded bronze necklace is made up of 15 links and a clasp. Each link represents Line Vautrin's vision of Berthe aux grands pieds (Berthe with big feet). To the left of her fac...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Collectible Jewelry
MaterialsBronze