THE WW1 SOUVENIRS AND TRENCH ART

The sheer weight of a massive German fuze, even truncated, and the shine of its brass are enough to create an attractive paperweight steeped in memories. Here, this BdZ06 percussion fuze has been sawn below the 51.5mm screw thread to remove the detonator tail, and carefully polished.

Only the fuze markings are present ('Bd.Z.06 - Sp.10 - C5671').

It is impossible for this trophy to date from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, since this antique German Schr Z c/73 fuze is a model designed in 1873 that was completely obsolete by 1914. Perhaps it was used in 1914-1918 with old shell stocks and picked up on a battlefield ? Or is it a pre-war souvenir ?

The threaded base of the fuze has been sawn off and plugged with a sheet of metal, onto which three lead shrapnel balls have been welded to act as feet. No markings.

This is a 12-second double-effect Russian fuze, model 1891 , mounted on a section of a warhead and simply equipped with tabs, which makes up this simple paperweight.

There appear to be no markings other than those on the disc of the mobile plate of the fuze system. Picture courtesy Patrice Colin

Slightly more sophisticated than a single fuze, this paperweight consists of a German Dopp Z 92 double-action fuze and the base of a 7.7 cm rear-charge shrapnel shell, also German, recognizable by its crimping grooves. There is no explanation for the blue band above the base's belt.

The only visible inscription is the fuze's original marking, 'Dopp Z c/92 - Sb.'

A variation on the previous paperweight, this one, still based on a German Dopp Z 92 double-effect fuze , this time mounted on the lower section of a 75mm shell casing, whose markings are largely obscured by the fuze and provide few clues ('L 1906 D - RENNES')

Its markings are in Arabic numerals. It was therefore probably brought back from the East, perhaps from the Dardanelles. Unfortunately, there are no other markings that could provide further clues.

Apart from these, the only visible inscription is the original marking on the fuse, 'Dopp. Z. 92 - Sb.'.

Another practical use for the heavy German fuzes converted into war souvenirs is to be converted as bookends ! Made with a German Dopp Z 15 double-effect fuze mounted on a rudimentary wooden base in the shape of a square, it is possible that this is one of two identical objects.

The inscriptions on the fuze ('Dopp Z 15 - u.m.g - P.') are the only ones visible on this souvenir.

This paperweight is made from a German-made Turkish double-effect fuze for a 75mm M 1903 cannon .

It bears markings in Arabic characters. It was therefore probably brought back from the East Fronts, perhaps from the Dardanelles. Unfortunately, there are no other annotations that could provide further clues.

The fuze is mounted on a rudimentary wooden base and comes with six bullets. The four legs are also bullets with the ogives sawn off.

This attractive paperweight showcases the brilliance of copper and aluminum, which make up this elegant 30-second double-effect Russian fuze. The craftsman who made it has perfected his obvious affinity for materials with a base carved from high-quality wood and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

Only the original markings on the fuze are present, in Roman numerals and Cyrillic.

No other material than brass was used for this attractive paperweight: the main body is made from a French double-effect fuze 30/55 Mle 1889 as its main body, and shell cartridge material for the base and for the plant motif in the form of a laurel wreath.

No inscriptions other than the adjustment numbers for the barrel's fuze system.

Once again, a German Dopp Z 92 double-effect fuze serves as the base for this paperweight, simply mounted on an equally simple aluminum base. This does not prevent the whole thing from looking rather smart.

There are no annotations, only the markings on the fuze ('Dopp.Z.92 f.10cmK').

This imposing base made of light wood forms a beautiful display for this German ZsumWM fuze for heavy and medium minenwerfer , but while the markings on the fuze 'Z.s.u.m.W.M. - Rh.M.F.1917' are normal for this model used during the Great War, those on the base seem to tell an interesting and original story.

In fact, the marking 'Cie P.G. 176' on one side of the base and '171' on the other do not correspond to any World War I unit, but seem to point to a plausible lead dating from... World War II: after 1944, France organized its units of German prisoners into 'prisoner of war companies' in which each internee was given a three-digit number.

This object could therefore be te transformation of an ancient WW1 trench trophy by the German prisoner No. 171 of Prisoner of War Company No. 176 after 1944. I have not been able to locate this company.

The distinctive feature of this rather elaborate set is that the nationality of the fuze at its center, a British double-effect fuze No. 80, does not quite evidently fit with the word 'Verdun' on the beautifully decorated copper back panel, embossed with a thistle motif and mounted on a base plate made of the same material, also engraved with thistles and decorated with four German bullets whose jackets have been opened like bananas.

There are a few plausible explanations for this mystery, since British troops were never engaged in this sector of the front:

• The French army rarely used British-made heavy artillery, so it could be the fuze from one of these weapons.
• The American army was partially equipped with British-designed guns and intervened in this sector in 1918.
• This souvenir from Verdun may have been reconstructed after the war, and the fuze may not be the one that originally adorned it.

This piece is one of the most impressive in my collection because of the emotional charge it carries.

While the vast majority of objects feature fuzes in fairly good aesthetic condition, this one, on the contrary, exploits the tormented shapes of an exploded German LKZ 16 impact fuze, whose ordinary conical shape would have made it a poor candidate for an artistic composition had it been intact.

The contrast is striking between the pure forms of the copper base decorated with a five-pointed star in relief and the wild appearance of the shards still attached to the fuze, which has been damaged by the explosion. It reinforces the lethal impression of the shell head, which was once launched into the air at high speed, armed with these terrible appendages in search of flesh to shred...

The fuze no longer shows any markings, which were located in the shredded part. However, a very interesting engraved inscription: 'Neuilly Saint Front - 1918' shows that this souvenir probably commemorates the participation of a French soldier in the fighting that took place in this commune south of Soissons during the Second Battle of the Marne, either in May 1918 when the Ludendorff offensive enabled the Germans to capture this locality, or in July 1918 when it was recaptured by a French assault accompanied by Renault light tanks.

Here is another very attractive display piece, built around a German HZ 14 percussion fuze encased in thin brass sheet metal decorated with ivy leaves and held in place by four German Mauser rifle bullets. But this already attractive ensemble is complemented by an impressive and very martial rear panel featuring the symbol of the engineers troops cut out of thin brass sheet and surrounded by various tools typical of the weapon: shovel, pickaxe, beater, gaff, anchor.

The fuze bears only the inscription 'HZ14'. The rear panel is inscribed with 'Chemin des Dames - 1915 - 2nd Engineer Corps'. This unit, based in Montpellier, supplied numerous engineer companies to the combat units on the front throughout the war.

The German ZsumWM percussion fuze for medium and heavy trench bombs , which sits proudly atop this elegant display stand, is in impeccable condition: no oxidation, few scratches, and the rotating plates still work.

The base is also remarkable, carved from beautiful wood encased in copper and decorated with balustrades, giving the whole piece a noble air of an Empire-style salon ornament.

The only inscriptions are those on the fuse: 'ZsumWM - 1916 (surrounded by rising suns)'.

Although the small French percussion fuze 24/31 Schneider displayed on this stand is much smaller than the massive German fuzes usually used in trench warfare, this allows for an impressive display of the stylized brass sheet with plant and floral motifs in which it is housed.

The fuze, which bears no markings, is mounted on an ogival section of the shell and a copper cylinder.

The brass leaf is engraved with the annotation 'Somme - 1917'.

This German HZ 14 percussion rocket has been transformed into an inkwell in the most rudimentary way possible: the cap has been removed to access the central housing of the missing percussion system, and the tail has been sawn off and replaced with a welded brass base.

Very simple and does the job, but no artistic intent!

Inkwell simply consisting of a German HZ 14 percussion fuze sawn at its base, with its percussion mechanism removed and its cap fitted with a hinge, but without any base.

The only inscriptions are those on the fuze: 'H.Z.14 O Vrst - FMA 15 J.'

This German lWMZdr2 fuze for light minenwerfer underwent only minor modifications to become this very simple inkwell. As in most cases, the percussion mechanism housing was hollowed out to make room for the ink reservoir, the cap was made removable to serve as a lid, and the tail was sawn off. The originality lies in the insertion of an additional brass disc above the fuze's graduated disc to create enough height to accommodate the reservoir.

Only the fuze markings are present: 'Serpentin - L.W.M.Zdr.2 - (RheinMetall symbol) - 1916 - (RheinMetall symbol)'.

The soldier who made this inkwell had to improvise a little, as he was only able to recover the upper part of a German Dopp Z 96 n/A double-effect fuse to build his work. He therefore reconstructed the missing part with a roughly molded aluminum piece whose shape only vaguely resembles the shape of the bottom of the fuze and of a guiding belt.

The head bears the classic inscriptions 'Dopp.Z.96 n/A' and graduations from 0 to 71.5 (the longest duration among the variants of this type of fuze). The base is marked with a crude but interesting annotation 'Campaign 1914 - 15 - 16'.

The person who made this simple inkwell was very fortunate to have access to a large 45-second double-effect Russian fuze in very good condition and rather rare, whose considerable weight and noble materials (aluminum and brass) seemed sufficient in themselves for his work.

A hinge was mounted on the nose cone to access the central shaft, which had been emptied of the percussion system to make room for the ink reservoir. A copper shell belt was adapted to the base to serve as a pedestal, 'et voila' !

There are no annotations; the fuze is marked only with Roman numerals and Cyrillic characters.

Inkwell made from a Belgian percussion fuze for 7.5 cm and 8.7 cm field guns , still screwed onto the warhead of an explosive shell. The percussion mechanism has been removed and the head can be opened.

The wooden base is simple, with no markings to identify the origin of this souvenir. Picture courtesy Luc Malchair

Artillery shells weren't the only battlefield artifacts used as the basis for inkwells. This one was made from no fewer than 66 French Lebel 8mm rifle bullets, welded together in a pattern based on a six-pointed star, with a second hexagonal tier built around a central ink reservoir.

The French 8mm 'Lebel' Mle 1886 rifle was adopted in 1887 to replace the 'Gras' Mle 1874 model. This weapon was somewhat cumbersome due to its length, and its cylindrical ammunition magazine was slow to reload (cartridge by cartridge), but it nevertheless had satisfactory ballistic characteristics.

The original 'Mle 1886 M' bullet cartridges incorporated 15-gram flat-headed bullets, whose lead core was covered with a 'nickel silver' jacket - an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel - except at the base of the bullet, where it remained visible.

This ammunition was later replaced by the 'Mle 1886 D' bullet cartridges, whose casings contained a more powerful powder, but above all whose bullets, now made of solid brass, were lighter (12.8 grams) and had a very aerodynamic ogival shape. These properties significantly increased the initial velocity, range, and accuracy of the weapon. This ammunition was the standard type and was used extensively in 1914. Source: https://parmontsetparforts.fr/cartouches-lebel/

This is the first type of original M-type ammunition, stocks of which were still in use during the Great War, that was used for this work. The symbol 'S' still visible on some of the flat surfaces is the (unidentified) mark of the manufacturer of the jacket alloy.

Inkwell made from a beautiful German HZ05 double-action fuze made of aluminum and brass. It is placed on a relatively simple wooden base and the head has been fitted with a hinge to access the ink reservoir located in the hollow housing of the striking system.

The whole is completed by a copper shell belt shaped like a horseshoe and fitted with four German Mauser rifle bullets.

The fuze has its markings: 'H.Z.05 - Sb12', its graduations from 3 to 53, and its adjustment marks; no personalized annotations are visible on the assembly.

There is a certain artistic flair to this simple inkwell, which is based on a German KZ 14 percussion fuze made of aluminum and steel, with a hinge on the head to access the ink reservoir.

It is particularly the brass base on which the fuze is mounted that gives it its artistic dimension: probably made from artillery shell cartridge metal, its rim is decorated with stylized cutouts.

The fuse is marked 'KZ 14 * - G.C.15'.

This interesting inkwell uses the body of a German KZ 14 percussion fuze, the head of which has been fitted with a hinge to house an inkwell in the compartment reserved for the percussion system. The fuze is attached to a simple wooden base.

The small airplane hovering above the room adds an original decorative touch, but it also adds a certain mystery, as the type of airplane is more representative of models from the interwar period.

The only inscriptions present are those on the fuze: 'K.Z. 14 - ? 15.'.

This work is particularly impressive due to its size and well-designed proportions, and the use of a beautiful German HZ05 double-effect fuze still mounted on a shell warhead, placed on a large round carved wooden base.

The artistic dimension of the whole piece comes from the aesthetics of this particularly complex type of German fuze, the contrast between the materials (brass, aluminum, steel, and wood) and the shapes used. A hinge was mounted on the head of the rocket to provide access to the ink reservoir.

The only inscriptions present are those on the fuze 'H.Z.05 - Sb 15', with adjustment marks and graduations from 3 to 53.

Inkwell made from a German Dopp Z 92 double-effect fuze , whose head cap has been modified to unscrew more easily and access the ink reservoir. The wooden base is decorated with two open bullets that can be used to hold a pen.

The fuze markings ('DoppZ92 f.10cmK - Sp.') are accompanied by an annotation consisting of two stylized initials, 'L G', probably the initials of its owner.

This other inkwell somewhat resembles a large mosque, with a dome modeled after a German Dopp Z 91 double-action fuze , whose cap pivots to give access to the ink reservoir, and four rifle bullets, probably French, as towers at the four corners of the wooden base.

No personal annotations, only inscriptions on the fuze ('DoppZ /91 - J.') are visible.

I would describe this work, based on a slightly damaged German HZ05 Gr double-effect fuze, as simple, were it not for the following noteworthy points:

• the fuze is of the rare 'LB' type, i.e., with extended burning time,
• the removable (unscrewable) cap for accessing the ink reservoir is equipped with a small copper handle,
• the carved wooden base is elegant and decorated with brass leaves

Inkwell made from a 30-second double-effect Russian fuze whose central striking mechanism has been removed to make room for an ink container. The male screw thread on the fuze cap has been sawn off and a hinge has been added.

Unusually, the piece is mounted on a beautiful large red marble plate with a groove for holding pens.

No annotations or markings other than those on the fuse itself, in Cyrillic and Roman numerals.

Marble is rarely used as a material in Trench Art, as it is less readily available than wood. In this case, a green marble slab was chosen as the base for a German KZ 14 percussion fuze made of brass and steel. The cap opens onto the internal inkwell thanks to a hinge.

The base rests on four feet. The two rear feet are German Mauser rifle ammunition, inserted through the plate. The two front legs are simply the base of the cartridge case for this same type of ammunition, topped with shrapnel bullets.

The markings on the fuze have are erased and there are no personalized annotations.

Inkwell made from the upper part of a German HZ 05 Gr double-action fuze, the base of a rear-charge shrbullet shell also German, recognizable by its hollow chamber, crimping grooves, and a copper belt from a shell that was probably never fired (no striations) and of large caliber, shaped like a horseshoe and lined with spikes.

The base is covered with a brass sheet (probably taken from a shell cartridge) and engraved with two shell shapes.

The horseshoe-shaped band is engraved with 'Fort de Manonviller - 1914' named after the French fort in Meurthe-et-Moselle between Toul and Epinal, which fell in 1914 after intense bombardment with shells up to 42 cm in caliber and was recaptured in September 1914 by the French army.

Another version of an inkwell with a fuze, base, and horseshoe shape, this time consisting of a French double-effect fuse 30/38 Mod 1884, a base of French 90mm shrapnel shell base, recognizable by its bullet chambers and convex bottom, and a horseshoe-shaped metal arc decorated with fleurs-de-lis and Maltese crosses and bearing hooks for hanging pens. Two small shiny metal shells complete the set.

The bottom of the base and the arc are covered with gold paint. A hinge allows the fuze barrel to be tilted. There are no inscriptions other than those on the fuze 'ECP-3 97 - 30 38'.

Here is a particularly elegant inkwell, based on a German Dopp Z 92 double-effect fuze , whose cap, tipped with a spike ressembling the ones of German helmets from 1914-1915, unscrews to reveal the ink reservoir.

A four-legged base was cast in aluminum, and a solid copper pen holder in the shape of a harp with four horns is attached to the fuze by insertion into one of the gas vent holes.

The arms of the harp are connected by two bars bearing the stylized letters 'A.P.', presumably the initials of the object's creator, or a dedication. The fuze bears the inscriptions ('DoppZ92 - Sp.').

This time, the set has a vaguely Asian feel, with the pen holder motif on the back reminiscent of a Japanese gate. This motif and the base are cast in aluminum, serving as a showcase for a German Dopp Z 96 n/A double-action fuze , whose cap, which can be unscrewed to access the ink reservoir, also features an aluminum motif.

The pattern on the cap bears the letters 'B S D', while the fuze is marked 'Dopp Z.96 n/A' and is graduated from 2 to 63.

This particularly original inkwell uses a horse's hoof (giving the whole thing a slightly sinister connotation...), decorated with copper nails and shod with the same metal, as a base for an inkwell made from the fixed part of a German Dopp Z 96 n/A double-action fuze.

The piece is fitted with a copper horseshoe-shaped rear base equipped with small movable brass levers that control the orientation of opened bullets.

The top of the fuze has been fitted with a copper appendage shaped like the spike of a German helmet, and unscrews to access the metal reservoir welded to the fuze body. No additional annotations to the fuse markings: 'Dopp Z 96 n/A'.

This highly original inkwell does not feature an artillery fuze, but rather a section of a wooden propeller blade from an unknown aircraft, into which a glass inkwell has been embedded. The blade section has been carved at an angle on the upper side, and the two notches at the rear suggest that the piece probably originally featured a decorative motif at the back, which has since disappeared.

Unfortunately, there are no inscriptions or annotations that could provide any additional clues to its identity.

Inkwell made from a German HZ 14 percussion fuze placed on a sheet of copper cut from a shell cartridge and fitted with four feet.

Redder copper pieces are soldered onto two corners of the sheet, as well as two German rifle bullets with their cartridges. A hinge allows the fuse head to be opened to access the inkwell, which has replaced the percussion system.

The only inscriptions are those on the fuse: 'H.Z.14 O - Siemens 15'.

This set is surprisingly based on a motley combination of a top cap from German double-effect fuze Dopp Z S/43 and a body of British double-effect fuze No. 80, placed on a support with a back panel and flaps, both made of copper sleeve.

The same decorative motif of stylized ivy and bindweed is applied by engraving on the base and embossing on the bottom.

A brass hook is soldered onto the body of the English fuze. There are no inscriptions other than those on the fuzes.

This inkwell strikes me as a rather ambitious project, given the size of the carved wooden base, but the final composition is somewhat disappointing.

The center of the work is the lower part of a German HZ 14 percussion fuze made of brass, whose cap has been removed (or is missing). A brass ink reservoir with a rectangular internal section has been inserted into the central well where the percussion system was located.

On the base are rifle bullets: a French Lebel rifle D-type bullet at each of the four corners, and two German Mauser rifle bullets in front of the fuze. Two sections of a copper shell driving belt are placed on the base, and two others are raised at the rear, forming a spiral at their end, with notches to hold pen holders.

The only inscriptions are those on the fuse: 'H.Z.14 - O - J 16 - 55'.

A rich and complex composition, the main part of which consists of a German KZ 14 percussion fuze made of steel and brass, whose cap, topped with a French Lebel rifle 'D' bullet, can be removed to give access to the central well, which has been emptied of the percussion system and converted into an ink reservoir.

The fuze is placed on a platform made of thin brass sheet supported by four Lebel rifle type D ammunition rounds, which pass through it, and lined with four other bullets of the same type.

A small chain - now missing - connected the warheads of the four feet. This central assembly is placed on a large wooden base covered with a sheet of brass. The front of this base is lined with nine German Mauser rifle bullets, also connected by a small chain. I plan to restore the entire piece. The absence of a structure at the rear of the piece gives a slight impression of incompleteness.

There are no annotations or dedications, and the markings on the fuse are invisible.

Superb inkwell playing with contrasting materials and benefiting from meticulous craftsmanship. The centerpiece is a German HZ 14 percussion fuze made of brass, topped with a magnificent miniature pointed helmet made of copper, aluminum, and brass. The upper part of the fuze is equipped with a hinge that allows it to be opened to access the hollow central shaft, which has been converted into an ink reservoir.

The rocket rests on a bed of impressive massive explosive shell fragments, probably 150 mm or larger in caliber given the thickness of the walls and the curvature radii, cleverly arranged. The whole thing is placed on a carved wooden base.

There is a striking contrast between the shiny, aesthetic fuze and helmet and the sinister, dark steel fragments, whose lethality is smehow evoked and easy to imagine...

The only inscriptions are those marking the fuze, partially obscured by the spiked helmet: 'H.Z.14 * - (Siemens symbol) 15'.

An impressive piece due to its size and monument-like appearance, this inkwell consists of a shell ogive fitted with a French percussion fuze 25/39 Mle 1875 forming an inkwell, placed on a wooden base covered with a smooth brass sheet. At the four corners of the base, 22/31 Mle 1897 French double-action fuzes are erected, connected to each other by a brass chain.

At the rear, two french Lebel rifle cartridges support a horseshoe shape encased in curved bullets, surrounding a matte metal plate that was probably used to display a photograph.

Here again, only the official markings of the fuzes are present :

• 'R.29.96. - 77' for the percussion fuse in the center,
• and '22 31 Mle 97 - ECP 2 99', '22 31 Mle 97 - ECP 25 07','22 31 Mle 97 - ECP 2 99' and '22 31 Mle 97 - ATS 1 05' for the four barrel fuzes.

The inner part of the spiral lead barrel of a French fuze, with its truncated cone shape, is well suited to the size of many candles. This fact may have been discovered by soldiers on the front lines, who spent much of their time underground in deep shelters lit only by the flames of candles held in makeshift candleholders.

In any case, this set of two identical candleholders is composed of one 80mm French shrapnel shell, recognizable by its bullet housings and convex rear base, and two french 30/38 Mod 1884 double-effect fuzes, the cap of the upper one being turned upside down to serve as a candle holder.

It must have taken courage, or recklessness, for the soldier who made this oil lamp from a completely empty and harmless French 90mm explosive shell: it is clearly ammunition that has been fired, as indicated by the grooves on its copper guide belt, and obviously did not explode. The craftman therefore had to unscrew the fuze and empty the black powder that filled this old-generation shell, as carefully as possible, hoping that the ammunition would not change its mind and explode while he was working on it... unless it was a blank shell fired for training purposes.

The other challenge, less risky of course, was to adapt the screw thread of the wick holder so that it could take the place of the fuse in the shell's eye.

The result looks great. The shell still has the factory markings on its base: 'FCF - BO - Ce'.

This three-branched candlestick brilliantly fulfills the mission assigned to the most beautiful objects of trench art : combining the evocation of memories, aesthetics, and utility in a single object.

The central body is a superb French 75mm explosive shell, completely empty and inert, with grooves imprinted in the copper guide band indicating that it has been fired, which raises the same questions as the oil lamp presented above regarding the danger of the demilitarization process prior to conversion by the craftman.

The shell is equipped with a 22/31 Mod 1897 double-effect fuze to which the candle holder is attached, possibly taken from an existing civilian object as it does not contain any military parts. Its central plate has a spike for directly inserting a large-diameter candle, while the candle holders supported by each of the three branches can accommodate candles with a diameter of 20 mm.

There must have been a soldier one day who realized that the cap of the large French barrel fuzes fit well on chicken eggs... and that it only took a few simple steps to transform a French 30/55 Mle 1889 double-action fuze into an egg cup.

All you had to do was saw off the tail of the fuze below the base, unscrew the cap and turn it over before screwing it back onto the central axis housing the detonator system, with the central lead barrel removed, to achieve the desired result.

It was so easy that a large number of copies must have been made during the war, making it fairly easy to find them in flea markets today, not to mention that some dishonest people continue to produce them today... and sell them as originals !

Another classic trench item, crucifixes made from metal collected on the battlefield come in many shapes and forms. They were undoubtedly inspiring objects for soldiers who had brushed with death, even if some of them were so traumatized that they lost their faith.

This crucifix, which I find particularly attractive, is built on an ornate brass base, onto which two French Lebel rifle cartridges are attached as the vertical beam of the cross, and two bullets of the same origin as the side arms. A superb German belt medallion, bearing the famous motto ‘Gott Mit Uns’, sits proudly in the center of the cross.

For this original and aesthetic work, the creator worked with copper-plated metal collected from battlefields and shaped into thin strips to form a portal framing the spike of a German helmet. Six German uniform buttons were welded onto the uprights and can be used as pen holders.

As is often the case in some trench art objects, one component of this work poses a mystery : the eagle above the seventh button on the crossbar resembles a French imperial eagle with a crown, a Napoleonic symbol that is out of context in the Great War.