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MC-010
Trench-art ashtray of rifle cartridge cases
Twenty spent rifle cartridges set around a cast bowl: a soldier's souvenir turned into something useful.
- Maker
- Unknown maker
- Date
- c. 1940s
- Material
- Brass cartridge cases, cast alloy bowl
- Condition
- Good, heavy patina and old dirt left untouched
- Gallery
- Antiques & Decorative Arts
Details
Identification
- Object type
- Other
- Period / style
- Mid-20th century trench art
- Country / region of origin
- Unknown, probably Europe or the Middle East
- Attribution
- Unknown
- Marks / hallmarks
- Headstamps worn and unreadable
Specifications
- Materials
- Brass cartridge cases, cast alloy
- Height
- 5 cm
- Width
- 12 cm
- Depth
- 12 cm
- Weight
- 0.45 kg
Condition
- Restoration
- None known
The story
Trench art like this was made by soldiers and craftsmen from the debris of war. Spent cartridge cases were cut down, stood on end and set into a cast bowl to make an ashtray for a desk or a mess table.
The patina has never been cleaned, so the green and brown tones of decades of handling are still there.
Provenance
- 1940sMade from spent rifle cartridges, probably by a serving soldier.
- 2022Found at the Jaffa flea market.