Line Vautrin - 100 Years of Magnitude

I n co l lab o rat i o n wI T H

M a i s o n G e r a r d w o u l d l i k e t o t h a n k t h e c o l l e c t o r o f t h i s i n c r e d i b l e g ro u p of boxes for entrusting us with a truly unparalleled collection.

A N E X T R AO R D I N A R Y C O L L E C T I O N C E L E B R AT E S T H E C E N T E N A R Y O F L I N E VA U T R I N

Vautrin’s artistic signature is very much in evidence in this extraordinary, highly personal collection of her extremely rare and intricately detailed boxes.

Carefully amassed over more than 40 years, it’s the largest of its kind to ever reach the market. It began with decades’ worth of romantic gifts from the collector’s father to his mother, with the son often brought along on visits to both Vautrin’s boutique and her legendary Marais atelier in the 50s and 60s. Among the many important pieces, all of them titled in the manner of original works of

Line Vautrin, a revered French artist of the 20th century once dubbed “the

art, some highlights are:

poetess of metal” by Vogue magazine, created a legacy of inspired work that The New York Times described as “bold, brilliant, barbaric and intricately

—La Foule (The Crowd), in which only one smiling individual stands out

crafted.” Her idiosyncratic vision and refined craftsmanship gave rise to highly

from the masses

original jewelry and decorative objects, infused with her passion for language and symbology.

—Je t'aime beaucoup (I Love You Very Much), that communicates a simple, eternal message through an intriguing rebus

Born in 1913 to a family of metalworkers, Vautrin’s lack of a formal art education

—La Mer (The Sea), with an image inspired by an iconic photograph

did not prevent her from mastering the skills of casting, chasing and gilding bronze

by Dora Maar, muse to Picasso and an artist in her own right, originally

by the time she was 14. Though bronze was then limited solely to industrial use,

used in an ad for hair lotion in the 1930s

it remained Vautrin’s metal of choice when she began creating her gilded and silvered buttons, adornments, compacts and boxes. An artist and intellectual at a time when many young women were afraid to be more than conventional and

—L'empreinte (The Fingerprint), in which a hand, a frequent theme of the artist, emerges from a wave-like pattern resembling a fingerprint

bourgeois, Vautrin took a booth in the 1937 International Exposition in Paris,

—Femininité, bouclier de la femme (Femininity, A Woman’s Shield),

where she gained enough of a following to warrant renting a tiny showroom.

another elaborate rebus on an unusual hammered surface adorned

But it was during World War II, when precious metals were scarce and Vautrin’s

with blue and white enamel

work in bronze provided a much-needed escape into romance and delight, that her popularity truly soared.

A few short years later, Vautrin opened a progressive atelier in the Marais, as well as an exquisite boutique on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré,

—Je t’aime plus qu’hier et moins que demain (I Love You More Than Yesterday and Less Than Tomorrow), an extremely rare cigarette box with a rebus that treats with whimsical humor a precious adage taken from a 19th-century poem by Rosemonde Gérard

where a statue of St Eligius, the patron saint of goldsmiths, presided over

—Le Cantique des Colonnes (The Hymn of the Columns), which bears

the entrance. A frenzy of ceaseless innovation ensued, defying any of the

poetry from Charmes, by Paul Valéry; the rights to this piece were

traditional genres of the decorative arts. The repetition of motifs—primitive

purchased by Yves Saint Laurent for the design of the bottle of his

patterns and elements that recall ancient hieroglyphics and pictographs—

perfume Cinéma

was influenced by Vautrin’s research into ancient goldsmiths’ work in the archaeological museums of Cairo. Folk tales, lines of poetry and aphorisms

It’s no wonder that these small miracles of creativity and ingenuity have been

were all fodder for her clever imagination. She became known for the whimsy

collected by such luminaries as Diego Giacometti, Brigitte Bardot, Caroline of

and double entendres layered onto her beautiful pieces, and for her witty

Monaco and Christian Lacroix. Vautrin’s reputation as an alchemist capable of

use of the rebus, complex visual riddles in which words are represented by

coaxing poetry from metal is destined to endure.

elaborate combinations of pictures and letters.

01

02 03

04 05

06 07 08 09

10 11

12

13

14 15 16

17 18

19

20

21 22

23

24 25

26

27

28

29

30 31

32

33

34

35

36 37

38 39 40 41

42 43

44

45

46 47

48 49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56 57 58

59 60

61 62

63

64

65

66

67

INDEX

All boxes are bronze doré or argenté, some with colored enamel.

The dates of creation range from 1942 to 1950.

19

L'Amour fait passer le temps / Love makes time fly An extremely rare box. Image designed by Vautrin's husband, Jacques-Armand Bonnaud, a theater set designer and watercolor artist Rébus: L’amour fée pas-C le temps

L: 6.4" W: 3.9" H: 1.18"

20

Féminité, bouclier de la femme / Femininity, a woman's shield An extremely rare box. With an unusual hammered texture surface Rébus: Fée-mi-nid-T Bouclier deux La femme

L: 3.3” W: 5.3” H: 1.18"

21

Je t'aime plus qu'hier et moins que demain / I love you more than yesterday and not as much as tomorrow A rare model. Inspired by the Rosemonde Gérard poem Les Pipeaux (1889) Rébus: Jeux t'M O-Joue-R-D'U-I plus KI-R haie moins queue deux-mains

L: 6.3” W: 2.8” H: 1.18"

01

Le Cantique des Colonnes / The Hymn of the Columns An extremely rare box. Bears poetry from Charmes by Paul Valéry; the rights to this piece were purchased by Yves Saint Laurent for the design of the bottle of his perfume Cinéma

L: 9.5” W: 6.4” H: 1.18"

02 03

Les petits cadeaux entretiennent l'amitié / Little gifts keep a friendship alive (02-argenté, 03-doré) Rébus: les petits K-do entre-TIE-nœuds la-mi-TIE

L: 4.25" W: 2" H: 1.18"

04

Obéissant passionnément / Passionately obedient Rébus: O-B-i-cent pas-Si-O-N'-aimant

L: 4.25" W: 2.4" H: 1.18"

22

C'est la vie / That's life

L: 7.35" W: 2" H: 1.18"

05

Je t'aime en silence / I am silently in love with you Rébus: Jeu T'-aimant scie lances

L: 4.5" W: 1.75" H: 1.18"

23

"Trianon" ou "Les pavés du Roi" / "Trianon" or "The King's Cobblestones" A compact (the cobblestones) with a tiny box attached (Le Trianon)

L: 4.52” W: 2.63” H: .39"

06

Aime tant et plus / Love more and more Rébus: M taon haie plus

L: 3.75" W: 2.25" H: 1.18"

24

La source murmure...sans fin même ton amour / The soothing sound of the river flows endlessly like love Rébus: La sous-r-c-e mur-mur cent fin m thon amour

L: 4.1” W: 2.9” H: 1.18"

07

Adam et Eve / Adam and Eve Also called L'Arbre de la vie or The Tree of Life

L: 2.5" W: 2.25" H: 2.1"

25

Seul au monde / Alone in the world

L: 2.8” W: 2.8” H: 1.18"

08

Dame à la Licorne / The lady with the unicorn An interpretation of the theme of a series of six medieval tapestries from Flanders of the same title

L: 7" W: 2.5" H: 1.18"

26

Je suis dit Dieu / They call me God With text from Charles Péguy's "Le mystère des Saints Innocents" (1912)

L: 5” W: 2.4” H: 1.18"

09

Si vous croyez... / If you believe...

Embellished with the lyrics of "La Chanson de Fortunio"

L: 2.8” W: 2.8” H: 1.18"

27

Jour et Nuit / Day and Night Day (front): sunlight and open windows, Night (back): a starry sky and closed shutters

L: 3.9" W: 3.4" H: 1.4"

10

M'inspira le retour vers Toi / It inspired me to return to you Rébus: Main spiral le-re-tour vert toi

D: 3”

28

Soleil et Lune / The Sun and the Moon A rare model. The inside of the lid shows an image of the moon

11

Empreinte / Fingerprint A hand, a frequent theme in Vautrin's work, emerges from a wave-like fingerprint pattern

L: 4" W: 3.3" H: 1.18"

L: 2.6” W: 2.6” H: 2.1”

29

Le défricheur de la forêt vierge / The deforester of the jungle

12

Antagonismes / Opposites Life and death, attraction and repulsion...

D: 3.8"

L: 4” W: 3.4” H: 1.3”

30

13

Le langage des signes / Sign language

D: 3.4”

Les Filles de Neptune / Neptune's Daughters (argenté) A pencil case with imagery of Roman sea god Neptune and his daughters

L: 6.5” W: 2” H: 1.18"

14

Pinocchio

L: 5.6” W: 1.2” H: 1.4”

31

Les filles de Neptune / Neptune's daughters (doré, set of 5) Scenes from stories of the Roman sea god Neptune and his daughters

L: 2" W: 1.25" H: 1.18"

15

C'est idiot / It's silly Rébus: C I-dis-OH

L: 1.75" W: 1.25" H: 1.18"

32

Cordages / Ropes

L: 5.75" W: 3.25" H: .75"

16

Tout ou Rien / All or Nothing Rébus: "Toutou" is an informal word for a dog; this dog is named Rien (Nothing) as shown on his collar.

L: 3.1” W: 2.5” H: 1.18"

33

J'ai perdu ma tourterelle / I lost my turtledove With the text of the villanelle La Tourterelle envolée by Jean Passerat (1534–1602)

L: 3.9" W: 6.1" H: 1.18"

17

La main aux poissons / The hand in a school of fish

L: 4” W: 3.3” H: 1.18"

34

Mauresque / Moresque A Moresque style design; this is the only box existing in this color and size

L: 5.25” W: 5.25” H: 1.18"

18

Sirène au bateau / Mermaid with a boat A mermaid holds the boat of Ulysses

L: 3.4” W: 3.7” H: 1.18"

35

Aquarium A rare model with original blue enamel.

L: 5.3” W: 3” H: 1.18"

36

Je t’aime passionnément / I am passionately in love with you Rébus: Je t'aime pas-si-haut-n’-aimant

L: 3.18" W: 2.36" H: 1.18"

52 53

La reconnaissance est la mémoire du Cœur / Gratitude is the memory of the Heart (52-argenté, 53-doré) A quotation by Jean-Baptiste Massieu (1772-1846)

L: 5.3” W: 3.5” H: 1.3”

37

Allez, laissez couler les jours, allègez-les, l’amour est un lait de beauté / Let the days pass, lighten them, love is a beautifying lotion Rébus: A-lait, lait-C cou-lait lait jours, A-lait-G lait, l’amour E un lait deux beaux-T

L: 3.14” W: 2.63” H: 1.18"

54 55

Icare / Icarus (54-argenté, 55-doré) Icarus spirals down from the sky into the sea as his wax wings melt

L: 3.7” W: 2.9” H: 1.3”

38

Des milliards de fois s'en vint puis s'envola l'amour / Billions of times love came and then flew away Rébus: Des milliard 2 fois 100 20 puits 100-vola l'amour

L: 3.14" W: 2.75" H: 1.18"

56

La Foule / The Crowd (argenté) A rare model. A single smiling individual stands out from the masses

L: 5.9" W: 3.2" H: 1.18"

39

Chérie / Darling Rébus: Ch-rrrrrrrr-ie

L: 3.7” W: 2” H: 1.18"

57 58

Je t'aime beaucoup / I love you very much (57-doré, 58-argenté) Rébus: Jeu t'-M beau-coup

L: 2.75" W: 2.75" H: 1.18"

40

Les quatre âges de la femme / The Four Ages of a Woman Eulalie, ou Les Quatre Ages de la Femme, a poem by M.F. Ponchon.

Created in the same series as Mon âme a son secret

L: 3.4” W: 3.4” H: 1.18"

59

Plume / Feather (argenté) A rare model.

L: 1.2" W: 3.7" H: 3"

41

Double cœur / Double heart

L: 3.9" W: 3.4" H: 1.18"

60

Plume / Feather (doré) A rare model.

L: 1.2” W: 3.7” H: 2.25”

42

La ville et la campagne / The city and the country (doré) A crowded city scene adorns the lid, in contrast to the image of the country cottage on the reverse side

L: 6” W: 3.6” H: 1.18"

61 62

Faubourg Saint-Honoré (61-doré, 62-argenté) The high end shopping street in Paris where Vautrin's shop was located

L: 3.4” W: 1.25” H: 1.18"

43

La Foule / The Crowd (doré) A rare model. A single smiling individual stands out from the masses

L: 5.9” W: 3.2” H: 1.18"

63

Livre / Book With the text of a poem from Guillaume Apollinaire's Alcools (1913)

L: 4.8” W: 3.25” H: 1.18"

44

Exaltantes les glaces / Exhilarating are the icy peaks "Exaltantes les glaces comme exaltant l’air pur ! Nos vies se riaient des ménages..."

L: 8.6” W: 2” H: 1.18"

64 65

La Prière de Saint François / Saint Francis' Prayer (64-doré, 65-argenté)

L: 6.4" W: 5.5" H: 1.18"

45

La Mer / The Sea A rare model. The image on the lid is inspired by an iconic photograph by Dora Maar, muse to Picasso and an artist in her own right, originally used in an ad for Pétrole Hahn hair lotion in the 1930s. Vautrin dedicated this piece to the singer Charles Trenet, a friend of her husband, who was known for his song "La Mer".

L: 6.9” W: 5.75” H: 1.4”

66

Visages Etoilés / Faces with Stars

L: 2.7” W: 3.1” H: 1.18"

67

Ophélie / Ophelia Inspired by the Arthur Rimbaud poem of the same title

L: 4.1" W: 3" H: 1.25"

46

Les roseaux aux têtes humaines / The reeds with human faces

L: 5.5” W: 3.25” H: 1.18"

47

Mon âme a son secret / My soul has its secret From the poem Un secret by Félix Arvers (1806-1850).

Created in the same series as Les quatre âges de la femme

L: 3.25" W: 3.1" H: 1.18"

48

De la poudre et des bals / Face Powder and Masquerade Balls (doré) Inspired by a Venetian masquerade ball, the bow in the center of the lid represents the ribbon used to close a carnet de bal, in which one would record dances and dance partners.

L: 7" W: 2" H: 1.18"

49

De la poudre et des bals / Face Powder and Masquerade Balls (argenté)

L: 5.4” W: 2.75” H: 1.18"

50

Le Comptable / The accountant

L: 5.7” W: 5” H: 1.18"

51

A déchiffrer à l'égal de mon cœur / To decode the equal of my heart Rébus: A D-chiffres-É A L’égal deux monts cœur

L: 5.5” W: 5.5” H: 1.18"

For additional information and images, please visit the collection of Line Vautrin boxes on 1stdibs.com

Maison Gerard would like to thank Madame Marie-Laure Bonnaud-Vautrin, daughter of the artist, for her gracious assistance throughout this endeavor and her invaluable contribution of the authentication of the collection. Each box will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Mme Bonnaud-Vautrin, who possesses the sole Ayant Droit, or right to provide this certification.

Each box in this collection will be included in the catalogue raisonnĂŠ of Line Vautrin's work which is currently being prepared by Marie-Laure Bonnaud-Vautrin, Jean-Marcel Camard, and Willy Huybrechts.

Gerardus Widdershoven and Benoist F. Drut of Maison Gerard extend their sincere thanks to:

MAISON GERARD 43 & 53 East Tenth St. New York NY 10003

Sabine Asselbergs Julia Hartshorn Diego Heredia Harrison Jackson Heather Kristensen Andrea Lujan DorothĂŠe Mathieux Lucy Wertheim Leroy Williams

T 212 674 7611 F 212 475 6314

Introduction: Laura Silverman Photography: Joshua Dalsimer Design: Mother New York (motherdesign.com)

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