Its unimaginable the conditions soldiers had to endure during WWI.  However, during the hardest most desolate times one thing remains true: art.  During the Great War soldiers crafted trench art out of used artillery shells and other scrap metal.  These vases were primarily crafted by soldiers during their downtime as souvenirs for their loved ones.  Most of these pieces were made by French and Dutch soldiers as Americans did not enter the war until 1917.  Many of the European soldiers already in the war often sold their art to the new American soldiers arriving to the front lines.

This incredible vase was fashioned out of a 77mm German artillery shell.  On the bottom of the shell is the date 1915, "Dusseldorf" and the manufacturer.  The vase features a bird perched on a leafy branch.  There is a crosshatch pattern throughout the vase giving this piece so much dimension.  The top has been cut and filed into a tulip shape.  Perfect for displaying cut flowers or your most prized dried bouquets.