105 - Line Vautrin (1913–1997)

Line Vautrin (1913–1997) Curly-haired sheep Brooch Gilded bronze and turquoise enamel, by Line Vautrin. Signed “Line Vautrin.” Date of creation: circa 1955 H 4.5 L 3.5 cm Very good original condition Bibliography: Patrick Mauriès, Line Vautrin, Jewelry and Objects, Thames & Hudson, London, 1992, p. 61. The daughter of a bronze caster, Line Vautrin learned to work with bronze at a very young age and, after the war, opened a shop in Paris where she sold jewelry, boxes, and mirrors. Her gilded bronze creations, often enlivened by wordplay and natural motifs, combine humor with technical virtuosity. This brooch featuring a curly-haired sheep, accented with turquoise enamel, is a charming example; it is reproduced in Patrick Mauriès’s definitive monograph. It can be compared to the sheep of François-Xavier Lalanne, the jewelry of Claude Lalanne, or the creations of Elsa Schiaparelli, with whom Vautrin shares a taste for the surreal.