Item Description
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.
Reference books are an essential part of any collector's knowledge and growth in their particular field of interest. The 2004 book “Trench Art, An Illustrated History” by Jane Kimball is a comprehensive study of Trench Art and does a wonderful job in presenting the historical context of trench art throughout history. The book covers about 400 pages and includes hundreds of illustrations as well as mountains of primary source material and original photographs that document the evolution, styles and construction of the trench art genre. This mess kit is found on page 347.
The caption from the page shows a short description:
“French mess kit engraved with a pine sprig and a dove on an embossed background.”
What the caption does not mention is the depiction of a man dancing with a naked woman engraved under the inner tray of the mess kit. It is a very lewd and dastardly depiction, making sense why it would be in such a hidden place. This kit would display very well with the tray out leaning against the mess kit The bottom of the kit is marked:
E.T.S.
I.F.
1937
The overall condition is quite nice with some light surface scratches and dents. A lovely example ready for further research and display.
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