A superb example of WW1 trench art, this piece is crafted from a spent artillery casing and converted into an cap. Affixed to the front is a finely detailed badge of the York and Lancaster Regiment, featuring the crowned rose and tiger motif within a laurel wreath. The base of the casing is clearly marked:
st (maker mark) - MÄRZ 1917 (German for March 1917) - H, 54, and additional inspector or lot markings.
The use of a German casing likely reflects a battlefield souvenir, later turned into a functional or commemorative desk item (perhaps paperweight) by or for a British soldier. It stands as a testament to the ingenuity of soldiers during the Great War.
