EUR
CAD
AUD
GBP
MXN
HKD
CNY
MYR
SEK
SGD
CHF
THBAntique World War I Trench Art, Brass 75 MM Artillery Shell with Embossed Leaves
About Seller
522 South Pineapple Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
United States
Sarasota Estate Auction specializes in a wide variety of furniture, antiques, fine art, lighting, sculptures, and collectibles. Andrew Ford, owner and operator of the company, has a passion for finding the best pieces of art and antiques and sharing those finds with the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot 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 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $250 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,500 | $250 |
| $7,500 | $500 |
| $20,000 | $1,000 |
| $50,000 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $5,000 |
| $250,000 | $10,000 |
About Auction
LiveMar 30, 2025
Over 900 lots will be offered in day 2 of our 2 day auction weekend! There are multiple lots of important fine art from landscapes and etchings to old masters and portraits. We have a Lifetime Collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany, Lalique, and Steuben Glass, Antique Maps, Oriental Rugs, Sterling Silver, Imperial Embroidered Chinese Robes, Rare Books, Old Master Paintings, and more! Sarasota Estate Auction sarasotaestateauction@gmail.com
View Full Catalog (951)
- Lot Description
Antique World War I Trench Art, Brass 75 MM Artillery Shell with Embossed Leaves. The four variously-sized raised leaves resemble grape leaves, with five main veins originating from a single stem. A stippled pattern is etched into the body of the shell behind them and all around. The pattern stops a couple inches from the open top end of the shell and less than an inch from the solid flat base. On the base are these inscriptions: "75 DE C H.258L.16 H" along with smaller makers marks, indicating the shell was made in France for the 75 MM Canon de Campagne, the main armament of the Western front. The lot number "258L" as well as the "16" indicate this was manufactured in 1916 and likely used in the nearly year-long Battle of Verdun, one of the longest and costliest bloodbaths in human history that resulted in almost two million casualties between the French and Germans, including civilians. Original patina, handmade, and roughhewn.
Condition: Commensurate with age.
Provenance: From a Florida Suncoast estate.
Size: 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 11 3/4 in.
Trench art is a blanket term for decorative items made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians during wartime where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only into their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them. Although extremely prevalent during the World Wars, trench art first appeared during the Napoleonic Wars and continues into the present day. The practice flourished during World War I, where the term first appeared due to the endless lines of trenches that stretched across Europe, and the term was retroactively applied to prior conflicts as well as all later conflicts, even those without the usage of trench warfare. Early on many of the items were smaller, such as rings, knives, and even commemorative pieces to celebrate a birthday, surviving a particularly rough battle, or (gruesomely) a first kill or exceptional kill run. In World War I an enormous amount of material was produced for artillery and shells grew in size, which led soldiers to experiment with larger and more elaborate works of art. Although historians have found it easy to trace the origin of most of the materials, the process of making trench art has been subject to much speculation, with some insisting that all trench art was actually produced in interim periods and passed off as the work of soldiers. Their argument is that the loud sounds that would come from hammering and working the metal objects would attract enemy attention too easily; however, many battles of the First World War dragged on for months with considerable periods of quiet down the line, particularly the Battle of Verdun which lasted for over 300 days. It is therefore extremely likely that people, desperate to find some comfort in such a prolonged tragedy and seeking an outlet for their nervous energy and anticipation, would turn to art and working with their hands to do so. Wounded soldiers were encouraged to work at crafts as part of their recuperation, with embroidery and simple forms of woodwork being common. As for civilians and prisoners of war, both would have ample time on their hands, but often limited resources, leading to the ingenuity that produced such unusual objects as crucifixes made out of bullet casings and figural sculptures engraved in bomb casings. The naming of airplanes began in this period too, with artists sometimes decorating the crafts with figures that would evolve into elaborate pin-ups in the next major conflict. Walt Disney first began his artistic career while driving ambulances in France in World War I, drawing anthropomorphic characters on the sides of his vehicle which would one day become staples of his animation studio. At war’s end, when civilians began to reclaim their shattered communities, a new market appeared in the form of pilgrims, ex-patriots, and tourists. Over the ensuing twenty years mountains of discarded debris, shell casings, and castoff equipment were slowly recycled, with mass-produced town crest motifs being stuck onto bullets, shell casings, fuse caps, and other paraphernalia to be sold to tourists. In determining the actual origin of trench art, the less elaborate or refined works are often the oldest and the ones made in the midst of battle, due to the aforementioned limitations on making art in wartime.
#5670 .
Condition
Commensurate with age.
- Provenance
From a Florida Suncoast estate.
- Shipping Info
-
SHIPPING INFORMATION·
Sarasota Estate Auction IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR SHIPPING! BUYER MUST ARRANGE SHIPPING. All shipping will be handled by the winning bidder. Sarasota Estate Auction recommends obtaining shipping quotes before bidding on any items in our auctions. To obtain a quote, please email info@premiershipment.com. Be sure to include the lot you are interested in and address you would like the quote for. Refunds are not offered under any circumstances base on shipping issues, this is up to the buyer to arrange this beforehand.
BIDDER MUST ARRANGE THEIR OWN SHIPPING. Although SEA will NOT arrange shipping for you, we do recommend our preferred shipper Premier Shipping & Crating at info@premiershipment.com You MUST email them, please DO NOT CALLl. If you'd like to compare shipping quotes or need more options, feel free to contact any local Sarasota shippers. You can email any one of the shippers below as well. Be sure to include the lot(s) you won and address you would like it shipped to. Brennan with The UPS Store #0089 - 941-413-5998 - Store0089@theupsstore.com AK with The UPS Store #2689 - 941-954-4575 - Store2689@theupsstore.com Steve with The UPS Store #4074 - 941-358-7022 - Store4074@theupsstore.com Everett with PakMail - 941-751-2070 - paktara266@gmail.com
-
- Payment & Auction Policies
-
Available payment options
We accept all major credit cards, wire transfers, money orders, checks and PayPal. Please give us a call at (941) 359-8700 or email us at SarasotaEstateAuction@gmail.com to take care of your payments.
-
-
- Buyer's Premium
- Size
3 1/4 x 3 1/4 x 11 3/4 in.
