A piece of WW1 trench art, made from the brass casing of a French 75mm shell (dated 1917). Millions of these shells were fired in the first world war, and the empty cartridges were commonly turned into souvenirs. Some were intricately engraved and decorated, but this one has a simple fluted design.
This was dug up 40ft underground in the Williamson Tunnels, having been buried for several decades. The tunnel is directly below a former army headquarters and drill hall, and perhaps was a wartime souvenir displayed on the base. Or it could simply have been a household ornament that was discarded.
Pseudo-trench-art was sold widely in France and Belgium to visitors after the war using discared war materiel, but the fairly simple, handmade look of this particular piece means it may well be an original wartime keepsake.
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