Description
GERMANY – ASHTRAY – TRENCH ART
Collecting trench art is a very specialized and interesting area of WW I collecting. There are collectors who collect those types of items only and have very large and diverse collections. Trench art pieces which include artillery shells or bullets are always popular and this piece incorporates BOTH. These shells are set on a triangular base of cooper. It has three legs which are made from the bottoms of rifle casings which have been soldered to the base.
In the center of the base is a cut down artillery shell which is some 4″ tall. Mounted around the artillery shell are a total of eleven deactivated bullets which include both the brass casing and the projectile.
I am no expert on ammunition but there are clearly three different types of shells which were used. Two types appear to have been used for rifles and the this variety appears to have been for a pistol or a revolver.
A very impressive piece and would look great on a desk or a book case.
