Editor’s Note
This article describes the upcoming auction of a mirror by designer Line Vautrin, notable not only for its value but for the unusual story of its discovery—guided by a dream of a departed relative.
On January 8, at the Hôtel des ventes Giraudeau near Tours, a mirror by designer Line Vautrin (1913-1997) will be presented at auction. Estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 euros, this collectible stands out for its formal qualities as much as for the circumstances leading to its discovery. Its owner became aware of its value after being advised by her aunt. A minor detail: the aunt passed away in 2019, and thus it was from beyond the grave and through the channels of sleep that she provided this precious advice.
In late October, a client of the Hôtel des ventes Giraudeau presented several items she wished to part with to the auctioneers. That night, she went to bed and had a restless sleep. In one of her dreams, her aunt appeared and strongly recommended that she “sell the Line Vautrin.” This name was not unknown to her; she had read it, a few years earlier, on the back of a mirror hanging in her home that she received from her aunt after her death. After receiving a photo from the client, Dehen immediately recognized the “stylistic signature” of Line Vautrin—a guarantee of authenticity that will surely appeal to bidders on January 8.
Born in 1913 in Paris, Line Vautrin grew up in a family of artistic bronze workers. In her father’s foundry, she learned the fundamental metalworking techniques (casting, chasing, gilding) at an early age, so much so that at 14, she left school to start her own business. She initially sold her jewelry door-to-door, but it was in 1937, during the Universal Exposition, that she began to make a name for herself. Her bracelets, boxes, earrings, brooches, and gilded bronze ashtrays, displayed on a rented stall for the occasion, sparked enthusiasm among visitors. She gradually built up an important address book and opened her first boutique on Rue de Berri, in a small space not far from the Champs-Élysées. As a good entrepreneur, she expanded her business over the years, eventually creating her own workshop in the Marais, at the Hôtel particulier Mégret de Sérilly.
In the early 1950s, Line Vautrin discovered cellulose acetate at the BHV, a resinous material used notably in the manufacture of eyeglasses. She worked with this material for years, combining it with glass, eventually creating the Oforge, which she later named “Talosel” (derived from “aceTAte de celluLOSe ELaboré”). Thanks to this new creative lever, she developed her “witch mirrors” in the 1960s—bulging, distorting, and generously ornamented.
Two hours after receiving the photo of the mirror, Mériadec Dehen went to the client’s home to verify the mirror’s authenticity.
At the end of the 20th century, the designer benefited from institutional recognition, securing her entire body of work for posterity. Notably, she was the subject of an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 1999 titled “Secret de bijoux, Line Vautrin et onze créateurs d’aujourd’hui,” and her jewelry has been included in prestigious collections, such as that of the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Mériadec Dehen proposes a “prudent but attractive” estimate for this mirror, ranging between 30,000 and 50,000 euros.
In this sense, a mirror of the same model was sold for 88,700 euros (fees included) by Roanne Enchères in 2023 against a high estimate of 60,000 euros. Two years earlier, another, estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 euros by the Millon auction house, was adjudicated for 123,500 euros. Therefore, the Hôtel des ventes Giraudeau is not immune to a pleasant surprise.
The circular “Sequins” talosel mirror by Line Vautrin was adjudicated for 101,680 euros (fees included).
