Belle Maison Store
Souvenir de la Marquise – WWI Trench Art (1917)
Description
Crafted from a 75mm artillery shell during World War I, this extraordinary piece of trench art is engraved with the words:
"Souvenir de la Ferme de la Marquise"
(“Souvenir of the Farm of the Marquise”) — a quiet tribute to a specific place etched into a soldier’s memory.
The shell is adorned with intricate leaf motifs and patterned borders, symbolizing nature’s resilience amid wartime devastation. Created by a French soldier in 1917, the piece carries both artistic beauty and emotional depth—an expression of reflection and remembrance forged in the heart of the trenches.
Whether the Ferme de la Marquise was a site of battle, a rare moment of peace, or a symbol of home, this inscription adds a deeply personal layer to an already moving artifact.
About Trench Art
Trench art refers to decorative items made from spent shell casings, bullets, and battlefield debris, often crafted by soldiers during moments of rest in the trenches. These handmade pieces served as emotional outlets and quiet acts of preservation—of memory, identity, and hope.
Each is one of a kind—bearing the marks of both war and the human spirit that endured it. Souvenir de la Marquise is more than an object; it’s a story in brass, over a century old, waiting to be held once more.
Dimensions: 14" x 4"