Lot 182
Western Europe, World War II era, ca. 1939 to 1945 CE. A lovely brass trench art lamp made from a 40 mm artillery shell casing during World War II. Sitting upon a discoid base, the illuminating device features a cylindrical body that gently tapers to a slender neck supporting a socket and socket knob. The surface of the lamp's body is etched with an idyllic scene of a rustic farmhouse and a watermill in the countryside. Likely engraged via a bent nail, this peaceful landscape would have been a harsh contrast to the brutal realities of the war; perhaps intended as a dream-like escape to a simpler time for the soldier who made it. Size: 3.6" W x 13.7" H (9.1 cm x 34.8 cm)
Trench art is the creation of art, souvenirs and tools out of discarded materials and the waste of war. The practice of creating trench art is as old as military conflict itself. During the American Revolution, prisoners of war created ship models from the bones of their rations. Soldiers in the Civil War carved charms and trinkets from lead bullets. World War I brought the advent of "classic" examples of trench art - and gave name to the pastime - as changes in technology presented soldiers with the material that best characterized the art form: the brass cartridge. During World War II, a more mechanized army offered increased access to the tools needed to fashion trench art, and the artifacts became more varied in form and were produced in greater quantity.
Provenance: private Santa Barbara, California, USA collection
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#179615
- Condition: Still functions as a lamp, though socket knob is slightly stiff. Surface wear as shown, but otherwise intact with nice remaining detail and light patina throughout.
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