Original Item. Only One Available. This is an extremely scarce example of an M1867 Feldflasche, or Canteen, used extensively during the Franco-Prussian War which resulted in the reunification of Germany in 1871. The canteen is constructed of glass wrapped in leather with a leather carrying strap. The strap is unfortunately broken but is fully retained with the buckle still intact. The stitching of the leather cover is a bit weak but still mostly intact.

This example is actually named, the name beautifully scratched into the leather on one side in the well-known German style of the period. The first name is difficult to make out, but the last name appears to be Bölle or Bötte. A fantastic research opportunity.

The original cork stopper is retained which also retains its pull-ring. These are almost never present as they are not connected to the canteen with any sort of chain, so they were easily lost.

This is a very rare piece, and if the strap were repaired, it would display gorgeously. One of the scarcer canteens we have ever offered, ready for further research and display.

The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 January 1871, the conflict was caused primarily by France's determination to reassert its dominant position in continental Europe, which appeared in question following the decisive Prussian victory over Austria in 1866. According to some historians, Prussian chancellor Otto von Bismarck deliberately provoked the French into declaring war on Prussia in order to induce four independent southern German states—Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt—to join the North German Confederation; other historians contend that Bismarck exploited the circumstances as they unfolded. All agree that Bismarck recognized the potential for new German alliances, given the situation as a whole.