Line VAUTRIN, The Crossing of the Desert, gilt bronze powder compact, circa 1950

Line Vautrin (1913-1997) was a world-renowned French artist and designer of jewelry and decorative objects. The daughter of an art bronzer, she proved to be a precocious artist, demonstrating originality and independence from the artistic conventions of her time. Revealed by her jewelry collection at the 1937 Universal Exhibition, which notably allowed her to open a boutique on the Champs Elysées, she has since created unique, powerful, highly identifiable pieces, imbued with freedom, imagination, lyricism and poetry, but also with playfulness and humor, referring to poems, concepts, hidden, suggested or engraved messages... Particularly innovative, she created a new material: "talosel", which can be found on many of her works, including the highly sought-after "witch mirrors"... The invention of this material and her creative universe earned her the nickname "poetess of metal". Her independent and playful nature is even reflected in the way she signs her works: sometimes bearing the abbreviated signature “bi,” sometimes “joux,” or “LV” on her jewelry, many of her pieces are simply unsigned, the artist thus displaying a nonconformist and nonchalant approach to her art.

We present here a powder compact, as this artist has created a wide range of decorative and personal objects…it is crafted in her preferred material, gilded bronze, with its beautiful and distinctive patina…which makes this object entirely representative of her art, even though this particular compact is unsigned. Its irregular shape gives it a unique character.

Live VAUTRIN here references the biblical story of the Exodus of the Israelite people, their flight from Egypt, and the subsequent crossing of the desert, through scenes across the lid, with one of the best-known episodes, the "Parting of the Red Sea," at its center.

Gross weight: 75.92 g

Condition: Minor micro-scratches and patina, signs of wear; mirror detached but present

Payment can be made entirely online via the website.

We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding alternative payment methods.

Are you a professional? We invite you to contact us directly at the shop!

Our reference: HS20763

Ref: YBCL3Z7SL2