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WACHKYRIE - c.1917 "R.V.F. B.70
Signed "Benjamin RABIER
Very…
See original version (French)
71
-
WACHKYRIE - c.1917 "R.V.F. B.70
Signed "Benjamin RABIER
Very…
See original version (French)
Estimate €4,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
WACHKYRIE - c.1917
"R.V.F. B.70
Signed "Benjamin RABIER
Very rare original lithographed sheet intended to be affixed to supply trucks during the First World War. 46 x 46 cm.
- Very good condition - well-preserved colours and very bright. There are a few discrete alterations, which do not affect the overall quality.
A remarkable piece -
The black and white photograph, not included in the sale, is an integral part of the description and provides a useful illustration of the lot.
During the First World War, Benjamin Rabier created a smiling cow called "La Wachkyrie" for his fresh meat supply unit (R.V.F.), an ironic reference to the Valkyries (figures from Germanic mythology), intended to adorn military trucks.
After the war, this motif was taken up again on the initiative of Léon Bel, modified by B.Rabier, to become around 1922-23 the famous emblem of La Vache qui Rit (The Laughing Cow). The idea for the earrings came from Mme BEL.
B70 is the name of the supply section.
The history of the brand began in Orgelet in the Jura, where Jules Bel set up business at the age of 23 (1865), as a master refiner.
He was only 55 when, in 1897, he handed the business over to his two sons, Henri and Léon, aged 29 and 19 respectively.
The company then became "Bel Frères".
In 1897, the company moved to Lons-le-Saunier, taking advantage of its proximity to the railway line and the Montmorot saltworks.
Henri left the company in 1908, and the name was changed to "Léon Bel, Gruyère en gros".
On 16 April 1921, Léon Bel registered the trademark La Vache qui rit.
The black and white photograph is presented for illustrative purposes to accompany the description and is not part of the lot offered for sale.
Jura/Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures modified on 05/18/2026 at 11:07 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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