WWI Souvenir Trench Art Artillery Vase

It is unimaginable the conditions soldiers had to endure during WWI. However, during the hardest most desolate times one thing remains true: art.

During the Great War soldiers crafted trench art out of used artillery shells and other scrap metal.  These vases were primarily crafted by soldiers during their downtime as souvenirs for their loved ones. 

Most of these pieces were made by French and Dutch soldiers as well as civilians. It was common for civilians to risk their lives searching the battlefields for debris to make into art.  These civilians would also sell their refashioned art to soldiers.

They continued to make art out of scrap metal, selling to people who came after the war to visit battlefields and cemeteries.

This is an incredible example of a civilian made souvenir using a 75 mm French shell from a field gun. This particular shell is dated 1917. 

The word "Souvenir" is artfully hammered in a raised relief across the shell accompanied by a heart.  A feather or leaf adorns the back of the shell. 

This is a wonderful piece of military and folk art history, perfect for displaying cut flowers or your most prized dried bouquets.