Description
This is a trench art desk decoration that consists of a base with an attached collage of artillery/infantry items. Trench art was created by soldiers from all WW I’s armies, when they had extra time on their hands in the trenches between battles. They took bits and pieces of gear and fashioned them into artistic objects. Some common examples were belt buckles converted into match safes, as well as jewelry and letter openers fashioned from shrapnel shards. These often-bored soldiers showed amazing creativity. A great deal of trench art also was created in hospitals as therapy for soldiers recovering from mild to severe wounds.
The collage is mounted on a steel base that measures 5 ½” x 4 3/4″ x 1/8.” A piece of an artillery shell’s driving band that measures 3 3/4″ x 3″ is mounted in its center. The driving band’s center sports a ball mounted on a vertical piece. Finally, two projectiles, from what I believe is an 8mm Mauser, are attached. The collage is very substantial and would make for an interesting display.
