Trench Art Shell Case, Bezalel School, Jerusalem, Circa 1917

A Silver Inlaid Shell Case Vase
Jerusalem, circa 1918. Using the Damascene technique of inlaying silver
and copper onto brass, as well as engraving, on a spent shell fired in
Jerusalem by the Turks fighting the British. On plaque-shaped copper
portions going around the center of the shell, is the Hebrew verse from
Psalms 137:5 “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her
cunning”. Every word of this verse has a representation of the Temple
Menorah flanking atop and below. At the base of the shell in Hebrew it
reads “May G-d Bless you from Zion, and may you gaze upon the
goodness of Jerusalem, all the days of your life”, which is from Psalms
128:5.
Although not made by the Bezalel School, this was made at the same time
that Bezalel was making spent shells into decorative works of art. The
techniques used here as well as the motif of the Temple Menorah, matches
what Bezalel was selling to the public at this time as well.