Trench Art

Earlier this summer, one of our dealers sold a fantastic metal decanter and cup set that was surprisingly heavy.  I hadn’t seen it out on the floor before the customer brought it up and thought it was one of the best finds of the day.  Our fearless leader (a.k.a. the owner of our store) quickly pointed out what a truly great find that it was because it was a real life example of TRENCH ART.  Having graduated with a degree in history (with a professor who was obsessed with military history) and currently pursuing a graduate degree in history, I was immediately intrigued and set out to learn more.

Trench art is defined as any decorative item that is made by soldiers, Prisoners of War, or civilians where the manufacture of said item is directly linked to an armed conflict and its participants.  Sounds boring, right?  Nope!  Although the term initially came from the extensive use of trenches during the Great War (World War I), it has eventually come to encompass items from all of the armed conflicts throughout history. 

Although most items are not actually made “in the trenches” and instead were made in safer “behind the lines” locations, it is still a fascinating type of art.  Soldiers sometimes made trench art to pass the time or when they were recuperating in hospitals to stimulate their recovery and civilians often collected forgotten and foraged war materials to create items to sell for a little money as they struggled to recover from the conflict.  Also, most items are not signed, since it was technically illegal for soldiers to keep shell casings (they were supposed to be sent home for recycling).  As a result, trench art from modern conflicts is even harder to find because today’s soldiers are held to much stricter standards regarding keeping shell casings and other souvenirs.

It is commonly divided in 4 categories: soldier-made, POW- and internee-made, civilian-made, and commercially manufactured items.  The most common type of trench art is that made from some sort of decorated artillery shell casing (1857 was the first time that projectiles with brass casings replaced cannon balls and other artillery.  The Spanish-American War and the Boer War were the 1st conflicts to use the new type of artillery).  However, other early examples are wood boxes made by French prisoners captured by the English during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).  During the Civil War (1960-1865), soldiers sent home decorated powder horns, canteens, and snuff boxes with personal and patriotic engravings.  Game pieces made from bones and bullets were also popular.  World War I saw prolific engraving and decorating of shell casings and bones.  Turkish soldiers were also known for their colorful bead-work.  Other items include casings that were brought home to be fluted and flared (this was the kind of set that we sold in the store), engraved and painted helmets and mess kits, letter openers, knives from bullets and shells, lighters, and inkwells.

As you move forward in your antique and thrift store explorations, keep your eyes open for these unusual pieces.  You never know what kind of story they will tell!