Posted 1 year ago
Rxlessard
(1 item)
I am hoping someone may recognize or be able to provide more information. I inherited this piece from my grandfather, who was given the inkwell as a gift in the 1930’s. The story is that it was crafted from an unexploded shell that hit a cathedral in Algiers during WW1. However I have not been able to verify the existence of a cathedral in Algiers during that era, that fits the description. The marble piece is supposedly from the alter that the US serviceman was standing next to, when the dud shell hit inside the cathedral. Yes, I do know the service man’s name. Can anyone confirm that this is German made, and from the right era? My gut tells me that some of the story may be embellished.
It isn't a shell it's the fuse from the top of it.
A lot of those stories get twisted, a nice piece of what is called Trench Art now. The base was once a nice piece of marble, now broken. There are many pieces of trench art out there. Some were even sold in some of the finest jewellery stores if the work was up to par or exceedingly well done.
This is a fuze for an artillery. There should be other numbers marked on it. That will tell you exactly what it belongs to.