De la Poudre et des Bals by Line Vautrin

“De La Poudre et des Bals” by Line Vautrin, set of two trays, gilded bronze.
Crafted in gilt bronze, this pair of square trays features a relief design that is both graphic and poetic. Each piece is structured by a background of vertical striations, into which is inscribed the phrase “De la poudre et des bals”, echoing the wordplay and whimsical inscriptions that Line Vautrin delighted in incorporating into her creations.
Context of Creation
Line Vautrin created these gilt bronze trays and small objects in the immediate post-war years, at the end of the 1940s.
Paris was emerging from the privations and traumas of the Second World War: rationing, restrictions, and a climate of anxiety.
In this context, the artist offered everyday objects imbued with lightness, humor, and wit — almost like talismans to re-enchant life.
Meaning of the Inscription
The phrase “De la poudre et des bals” plays on the double meaning of the word “poudre”:
face powder, a symbol of coquetry and of frivolity regained,
but also, in the background, gunpowder (munitions), still vivid in recent memory.
Associated with “bals” (balls, dances), it suggests the return of festivity, dance, and social life after the dark years.