Antique hunting...with Roo Irvine

Entrenched in history

Few antiques are as emotionally charged as those labelled “Trench Art”. The very name conjures up images of battle-weary soldiers in front line dugouts, hand-crafting ornate works from spent bullet cases, twisted lumps of shrapnel and discarded debris of war, as they wait to ‘go over the top’.

Highly collectable it pays homage to the worst and best of humanity. The creativity and ingenuity that has gone into making such beautiful works of art from items made to facilitate death and destruction is often breathtaking.

Shell casing brought to UK from Damascus in 1918

Photo by Tim O Lloyd CC BY-SA 3.0

However, the name is somewhat misleading. Not all trench art was created among the mud, blood and suffering of battle. It is a collective title used to describe a variety of decorative and sometimes functional items made during or after hostilities, often using materials sourced from a conflict, but rarely by the participants themselves.

‘Trench Art’ has been around for centuries. Wherever there has been conflict there has been art. Considering the richness of Scotland’s bloody history - with our clan battles, Jacobite rebellions and Wars of Independence - you’d think there would be plenty of homegrown examples that could be traced back to Culloden or even Bannockburn but sadly there isn’t.

Cartridges

Photo by Europeana 1914-1918 project CC BY-SA 3.0

In the 19th century prisoners on both sides during the Napoleonic Wars are known to have fashioned a wealth of items, from spoons to model sailing ships, out of discarded bones. However, it is rare to find these early pieces, most pieces around today stem from post World War One.

The most common examples are the large shell cases, often inscribed with scenes, and today used as receptacles for walking sticks or umbrellas.

Look beyond the letter openers, ashtrays and lighters, and you’ll find handmade rings, clocks, paperweights, candlesticks and even Jardinières. Pieces were made for entertainment or as souvenirs to commemorate a moment in time.

Trench Art in National World War I Museum, Kansas PD

Most Trench Art tends to fall into one of four neat categories with regard to its origin, although it can be frustratingly deceptive to tell what you have in your hand. Almost everyone wants a piece that has been made by a soldier, although without any provenance it can be hard to prove its origins. A date and location can reveal the conflict and this is often embossed into the design, or evident on the bottom of the shell case. However, these could be later souvenirs to commemorate a battle. Instinct and close inspection should help solve the mystery, as handmade pieces often exude a powerful, tangible charm unlike commercial pieces.

The biggest myth is that to be classed as Trench Art troops in the trenches must have made it. While some soldiers did fashion items for personal amusement they were usually small, such as a ring made of copper or brass. In his book “With a machine gun to Cambrai”, former soldier George Coppard recalls pressing his uniform buttons into the clay pit of the trenches before pouring molten shrapnel into the moulds to create lead replicas of the regimental crest.

Chromed metal trench art ashtray made from a 25 Pdr shell case (dated 1942)

Photo by Unaipon CC BY 3.0

Other items are made by wounded soldiers who were encouraged to take up crafts as part of their rehabilitation. Many became quite ‘fluent’ in embroidery and woodwork.

Next, were the Prisoners of War who made items to pass the time, and sometimes barter with for food, cigarettes and other commodities.

Finally, there is Trench Art made on a commercial scale, usually by civilians turning unused or discarded military materials into mass-produced souvenirs.

Antiques in general are snapshots of time. They provide emotive connections between generations and physical links with historic events. Trench Art in particular is a reminder that beauty can emerge from even the darkest of days.

Photo by Europeana 1914-1918 project CC BY-SA 3.0