Menu
EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBWWI French Brass Letter Opener & British Christmas Box
Lot 116b
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$600 - $900
Absentee vs Live bid
Two ways to bid:
- Leave a max absentee bid and the platform will bid on your behalf up to your maximum bid during the live auction.
- Bid live during the auction and your bids will be submitted real-time to the auctioneer.
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Dec 9, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-12-09 12:00:00
2021-12-09 12:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : All That Glitters | Ancient & Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/all-that-glitters-ancient-ethnographic-8000
Join us for a very special holiday auction featuring jewelry, glass, icons, coins, and so much more. Think silver, gold, and all things shiny. Perfect for holiday gift giving or for self-gifting. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Join us for a very special holiday auction featuring jewelry, glass, icons, coins, and so much more. Think silver, gold, and all things shiny. Perfect for holiday gift giving or for self-gifting. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (168)
- Lot Description
Western Europe, France & Great Britain, World War I era, ca. 1914 to 1918 CE. A hinged brass box from the Princess Mary 1914 Christmas fund, and a brass bullet letter opener commemorating the armistice of WWI. The box was designed by Adshead and Ramsey and the lid is decorated with repousse of the princess in profile surrounded by a laurel wreath and her monogram and “Imperium Britannicum” at the top flanked by a sword and scabbard. The allied powers: Japan, Russia, Montenegro, Servia, France, and Belgium are embossed in each corner and edges, and "Christmas 1914" in the lower center flanked by the prow of a war ship. The knife is a fine example of trench art, made from a piece of brass and a handle made from a rifle cartridge casing. The blade is engraved with the date 11.11.1918 and "VERDUN." The bottom of the shell has the factory marks "RA H 18," likely for the 1918 US Cartridge Co and Remington Arms in Hoboken. Size (letter opener): 7.25" L x 1.25" W (18.4 cm x 3.2 cm); (box): 5.125" L x 3" W x 1" H (13 cm x 7.6 cm x 2.5 cm)
As WWI approached the first Christmas, Princess Mary wanted to do something special for the British soldiers stationed overseas, so she proposed a publicly funded effort known as "Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary's Sailors' and Soldiers' Fund" to send gifts to the soldiers. By October of 1914 a government committee had decided to use the collected funds to fill brass boxes with provisions such as tobacco, lighters, pencils made from bullets, candy, and most notably - a photo of the Princess Mary and a card. Brass shortages meant that some boxes were not made and received by some soldiers until the summer of 1916!
Verdun is a French fort on the Western Front and site of the longest battle in WWI. On November 11th, 1918 - the day of the armistice, USA naval ships fired their last shot from Verdun into German territory at 10:57 AM, minutes before the armistice took affect at 11:00 A.M Central European Time. This letter opener is a poignant reminder of Armistice Day.
Provenance: private Lake City, Colorado, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#163825Dark patina and toning to the brass box. Minor indentations and surface wear. Small areas of green patina. Text and repousse motifs are clear, and lid articulates. Letter opener is intact and very good. Chips to blade and stable fissures on the bullet casing. Dark patina and toning.Condition
- Shipping Info
-
All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.
-
- Buyer's Premium
