WWI French Brass Letter Opener & British Christmas Box

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VARIETY SALE | Ancient, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 3, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-02-03 10:00:00 2022-02-03 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : VARIETY SALE | Ancient, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/variety-sale-ancient-asian-ethnographic-8833
Join us for our first sale of February with a spotlight on two fabulous collections, one from Lumberton, Texas, and the other from Whisnant Gallery in New Orleans. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• 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.
  
  b>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 b>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 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.
  
  #163825

  Condition

  Dark 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.
• Shipping Info

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