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Trench Art Finnish Artillery Shell Vase

B

Brian Keith

Well-Known Member
This shell case is about 37 to 40mm and 160 mm tall. It looks to me to be dated 1940 on the base. I would like to find out what gun/guns it was used for and where and when the shell was made. Any other info would be of interest.
It is nicely engraved with the Finnish Lion insignia and the German Army Eagle. It says Krivilla 1942 the site of a large battle, I understand and Impi Koponen, I dont know what that means.
Thanks in advance.
BKW
 

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First, It's a case for 37mm Bofors-Tampella AT-gun M/36, made by Bofors in Sweden in 1940 - very typical used in Finland during WW2.
Second, shortened and made to a vase. Impi Koponen is a Finnish female name. "Krivill" means "at Kriv" - can't tell just now how far that battle field was from Finland but unlikely Finnish troops did not serve there.
Third, German eagle should have nothing to do in Finnish WW2 trench art items, thus I think it may be a fake? Has it 2 dots over the last "a" of "Krivill" or without - if without dots it's definitely a fake as the dots belong to a Finnish word.
 
Very interesting info, it has the two dots over the a. I found some information that "Krivilla was a battle between Russian and Finnish soldiers. My brother bought the vase in Finland about 1980, it is possible it is fake. It is very well done, and he didn't pay a lot for it, but that dosn't mean is from 1942.
I appriciate the info! I'm glad I found this site!
BKW
 
I think the vase and texts on it is a genuine Finnish trench art - you see it is simply engraved by hand as they were, but the Finnish lion and German eagle are added later on and engraved professionally by machine.

One may often see a swastica on Finnish WW2 trench art items. Swastica is an old Finnish symbol adopted in military use long before nazi party even existed in Germany.
However I have never seen German nazi symbols on Finnish trench art.
 
Again, that is interesting, Not the first time some one has altered something to sell for a higher price!
Thanks!
BKW
 
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