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.
This work of art used a Model 1909 canteen as a “canvas”. The Austro-Hungarian soldier who carried this canteen covered the entire body with varying designs and shapes with an image of two soldiers with digging equipment being marched along by a superior armed with a rifle. The front of the canteen has what appears to be a desert landscape with a camel. The bottom of the canteen has what appears to be a unit marking as well as ASKHABAD 1914.
A lovely displayable canteen that comes more than ready for further research and display!