Original Item: Only One Available. Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.
Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term ‘trench art’ is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.
The trench art was more than likely done by a British soldier with spare time. Featured In The Book “Trench Art, An Illustrated History” by Jane Kimball on Page169 which has the following description:
“British 18pdr artillery gun made from scrap brass and mounted on a brass plate engraved with flowers and “WORLD WAR”. 5 ¾ in. long by 3 ½ in. wide by 3 ¾ in. high”
A lovely item ready for further research and display.