Original Item: Only One Available. Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.
Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term 'trench art' is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.

Reference books are an essential part of any collector's knowledge and growth in their particular field of interest. The 2004 book “Trench Art, An Illustrated History” by Jane Kimball is a comprehensive study of Trench Art and does a wonderful job in presenting the historical context of trench art throughout history. The book covers about 400 pages and includes hundreds of illustrations as well as mountains of primary source material and original photographs that document the evolution, styles and construction of the trench art genre. This mess kit can be found on page 226.

The caption from the page is a lovely description: The bottom of Oscar Christenson's mess kit. Engraved with an American shield with stars and stripes, the German "Gott Mit Uns" badge, and "Oscar Christenson Co. K 128 Inf. 1917-18-19 France."
The top lid shows an image of a dog fight against a german aircraft as anti-artillery fire pops off around them. Beneath the image has the text FRITZ FUMBLES.

A lovely messkit ready for further research and display.