S.S. Nordland bakelite trench art cup

[Wagriff]

This shell fuse cup was recovered in Latvia near Riga. It was being used by an old man to hold peppers in it. The flag is Norwegian,so,apparently,it was made by a Norwegian SS trooper in the Nordland.

[SteveR]

Somebody took a long time scrimshawing the piece but unfortunatly there is absolutly no way to verify its authencity.
SteveR

[Wagriff]

Very true. Unfortunately,the same can be said about almost Any trench art piece. The key with such pieces is to know and trust the source and then to make your own satisfaction on it to yourself before you pick it up. I've collected trench art,myself,for quite a long many of years now,and it's true-there are a Ridiculous amount of outright fraudsters out there-especially today. It takes little to scratch a set of initials and a date,for example,on an old mess kit or canteen and Voila! Instant trench art. This particular cup was obtained from an impeccable Latvian source and I have absolutely no problems with it,myself.(No small task,since I'm about as an impossible to satisfy a collector as they come!) I just posted it here to show people just how elaborate some of these pieces can Get. One has to wonder just what kind of Talents were lost in these wars. I've seen field produced things that would challenge a jeweler to reproduce. William

[Walkwolf]

Somebody took a long time scrimshawing the piece but unfortunatly there is absolutly no way to verify its authencity.
SteveR

Interesting idea.
Now I know what to do with those Zunderbuchse cannisters I have..........!

All kidding aside, Have to agree with SteveR - no way to authenticate it.
These are still relatively inexpensive items, and this could be a sly way
of making five or six times the price of one without any carving.

[Wagriff]

True too,Steve. This one isn't for sale,though,and will stay in my collection for quite a while more,as I don't intend to kick off just yet anytime soon! I've had it for a good while now,and it's not going anywhere! Trench art is just cool stuff made by guys who had too much time and too much stress on their hands and found a way to occupy themselves in an impossible situation-which is what makes it so fascinating,I think. It Would be nice,if we somehow had videos of each piece being made in the bunkers,etc.,but sad as it might be,there's just no way,as you say,to bulletproof authenticate everything like these. Bottom line is,Don't be a chump and a sucker(There's one born every minute,remember!) and Don't buy every story you hear! Know your source-Trust your source-Check it out to your own satisfaction-Buy what you feel good on and Like it! (And heartily curse the idiotic fakers making so much fraud and confusion out there!) And,remember-there's "trench art" being made every day-even Now-by members of the military all over the world. Even the Legions of Rome had their "artisans". It's never a dull moment in this hobby! William

[Horst]

William - main thing is that you are happy with the item - it does reflect a nice period trench art character.

Horst

[Paul D]

This piece has had quite a journey , it must have been done by a Norwegian who first joined the Nordland Regiment then transfeered to the Norge Regiment a component part of the Nordland Div if it has ended up in Latvia, very interesting.