Thursday, 14 November 2024

Trench art for Tracy



 Tracy, you mentioned yesterday that you collected Trench Art.   This little piece (unique? never seen another like it) was on my friend Simon's stall a few years back, at Malvern.  I picked it up to look at it more closely, and burst into tears - it was imbued with sadness and loss and I can only assume that whoever made it for their mum, wife or sweetheart, never returned from the war.  Each time I pick it up, I have a rush of emotion again.  I assume it shows the little (bedroom?) fireplace of a Victorian house and that the recipient recognized it immediately.  This sense is officially called Psychometry or ESP or being clairsentient.  It's something that I can only channel when I am relaxed and open.  Feel free to pooh-pooh this skill - it does seem something impossible to do, but it has happened to me is all I can say. I am an empath, so perhaps that has something to do with it.

For folk who have not come across Trench Art before - these are pieces made from the brass shell cases or scraps of aluminium of WWI and WWII.  In their time off, soldiers would work on turning them into useful objects to take home to their family.  Even Keith made 3 of them with the bases of shell cases and an Arabian coin in the centre so our kids will have one each. The link is to the Imperial War Museum and shows a selection of items.  What turns up most are the shell cases with sgraffito designs on, repousse work etc.  UK Ebay will show dozens of examples.

Many thanks to Julia in Texas who showed the photos I put up of the German photo album and mini medals yesterday to her son (who collects militaria) and he noted that the pilot had earned an Iron Cross in both the First and Second World Wars, alongside other military honours and also reckoned it was highly collectable and quite valuable.  A bit too valuable for my little stall anyway so I shall have to find a specialist Military auction for it.

Today I have managed to change my bed and put the duck down duvet on the bed (though that was a struggle!)  I should be nice and warm tonight.  I even ironed the bed linen first.

I have unpicked and resewn in the proper layout, two more blocks in Gabby's quilt, and with a heavy heart taken my stitch-ripper to the 3 rows of blocks I sewed together a couple of weeks ago - the wrong way up . . .  The colour balance demanded I started over.  So I sat and watched the 2nd episode of Phil Rickman's Midwinter of the Spirit, the only tv dramatisation of any of his books.  In daylight, not too spooky!

I also felt up to making a meal tonight, so set to and chopped up onions and garlic, added a good tin of cherry tomatoes and browned meatballs to go into it.  I had it with pasta and veg and it was very filling.  I have put the other half in the freezer.

Now I shall put my electric blanket on and settle down for the evening. 

22 comments:

  1. What is the trench art piece? Its function? Hard to be emotionally clairvoyant! Do you ever get happy vibes?
    Sorry about all the quilt redo, but sometimes one must--tho often the best folky antique American quilts have setting flaws that we now find charming. [I do notice that antique English and Welsh quilts are often immaculate and perfect].

    I'm doing binding this afternoon, not looking forward to wrestling the big heavy quilt tho.

    hope you continue to feel better!

    lizzy gone to the beach..

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    1. Hi Lizzy - I've added a bit to my original post, with a link, so you and others will know about it.

      Trying to think if I have had happy vibes from something and I don't think I have. Just sad, and one VERY angry. There were some house clearance items, kitchenalia and china and what have you shoved in a box and then pawed over by all and sundry at Brecon auction. When I touched a vase in the box I could feel immediately that it had probably
      once been someone's pride and joy and she was NOT at all happy at her treasures being dumped in an auction. I didn't bid on THAT lot!!

      I hope that the binding went well. My stitch ripping did! I have realized it's not a good idea to listen to Audible when piecing a quilt (which requires concentration).

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    2. I am familiar w trench art, but am unsure what this object is? A trinket box? A foot warmer? Just a love token w no useful aim?

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    3. No, it is just a "picture in brass" of a little bedroom fireplace. It's only a few inches square. It was to keep the maker in the memory of the person he gave it too (be it wife, mother, sister, sweetheart).

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  2. How interesting that you have a gift of psychometry. I read a book you may like, Kaleidoscope by Dorothy Gilman. The main character is a nice older lady who uses pschometry to solve mysteries. I had not heard of Trench Art before.

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    1. I sense atmospheres too - ruled out several houses we viewed as I got such a bad vibe - one had what felt like a freezing pillar in a blocked-up Medieval doorway and I felt someone had died a violent death there. I soon talked Keith out of THAT property!! The book sounds interesting - will see if I can get it through the Library.

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    2. Don't forget Gilman's Clairvoyant Countess, as well! Same character, more stories.

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    3. Thank you both. I will jot down those authors.

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  3. Thank you! That has made my day! What a sweet little thing. I'm definitely not going to pooh-pooh the feelings it gives you. I know exactly what you mean.

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    1. Pleased to know that Tracy. I see I am not alone in "picking up" on vibes.

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  4. I had to Google trench art, as I'd never heard of it. There are some remarkable artworks. Good to know the military album is so valuable. Hopefully you can find the right buyer. I hope you stay warm and cozy under your duvet! I'll bet the cats love it!

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    1. It's common in UK, but if you live elsewhere, you are likely not to have heard of it. I slept really well beneath the warmer duvet (having shut the cats downstairs for once). I feel almost normal today :) Th cats will definitely love it - Lulu is quite often asleep on my bed in the day.

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  5. I remember you telling about that sense before. I realized that I have experienced it a few memorable times in my life as well. It cannot be explained to others. They won't understand it unless they've had the experience of it.

    I made a pot pie for supper using the last of the wild turkey (which is much smaller than a turkey you'd buy at a store). It was the third meal of it, and I was very pleased with how it turned out. There is something very soothing to me about chopping vegetables for whatever reason.

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    1. I think it is probably developed from an awareness that everyone once had, back in the days when we needed to be so aware just to stay alive when we were not the top predator!

      The pie sounds nice. I imagine a wild turkey has a lot more flavour than store-bought indoor-raised ones.

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  6. I think such special powers are around, there are things between heaven and earth that need a lot of explaining. Thank you for the heads up of the Phil Rickman drama, just found it on ITVX.

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    1. Indeed, a skill not given to everyone. I can "read" complete strangers like a book too - just know what they are like before they even speak a word. I can remember someone saying that wasn't possible, but I now full well it is. I will liken the sense to many people being able to pick up on the atmosphere in a room where there has just been an argument . . .

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  7. So interesting to hear about your experience of being able to channel feelings.
    Love that piece of trench art , more interesting than the vases made from shell cases they often feature on the antique programmes.
    I tried Phil Rickmans books once or twice and had a fail with them but TV would be better - what channel did you find it on?

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  8. It's on 5X Sue. It was the first of the Merrily novels so should want to read it. Some of his novels better than others - December was particularly odd.

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  9. Marlane here I can not get out of anonymous for some reason. I did not know either that you could sense vibes so to speak. We therefore have that in common. I just posted on instagram about quilts and associated it with the horrible thing that happened to me from my husbands daughter and two of her daughters over Trump being elected, and my chastising the two daughters via private message for believing lies that they had read in the media about him. Then my twin got in on it on face book. The quilt I put on was from my MIL estate and I mentioned that it was a family heirloom. ( reading between the lines I want them to realize that they have been disinherited) I glad that you are keeping busy !!

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    1. Oh that's a shame. You and I have the vibe thing in common then. Sorry that there is so much fallout over Trump being elected. Politics can be so destructive (let's hope our present PM gets buried in cow slurry after what his party have done to farmers here).

      Yesterday was a good day for me, today has NOT been . . . Down in the dumps.

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  10. I would never pooh-pooh that skill, for I too have had it on occasion. It pulls you up short and leaves you drained sometimes doesn't it. For me it's not always just with objects but also with people I can occasionally feel immense sadness, I wish it worked the same for joyous things and people.

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  11. I was ever one for helping lame ducks. I can always tell when people need help. I sometimes get very drained by people who are emotional vampires though - best to avoid that sort.

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