Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 136:
Description
WWII German 8.8cm Flak Artillery Fuze Salt and Pepper Shaker Set in Custom Metal Caddy, Components Catalogued as 1942-Dated Offered here is a novelty trench art salt and pepper shaker set fashioned from a pair of inert German 88mm Flak artillery fuzes, catalogued as bearing 1942-dated components, mounted together in a custom-fabricated metal carrying caddy. No separate published biography or maker attribution accompanies this piece; its story rests in the physical form of the ordnance components themselves and the broader tradition of soldier-made souvenirs that grew out of the European Theater. The 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37, universally known to Allied troops simply as the "88," was among the most feared weapons fielded by German forces in World War II, serving in dual roles as an anti-aircraft gun and a devastatingly effective anti-tank weapon across North Africa, Italy, and the Western and Eastern Fronts. Spent fuzes and other inert ordnance components recovered from these guns were prized by GIs and local artisans alike as raw material for trench art, a folk tradition dating to the First World War in which battlefield debris was repurposed into decorative or functional keepsakes. Converting fired fuzes into everyday household items such as salt and pepper shakers was a popular and practical way to domesticate a piece of dangerous ordnance, transforming a weapon of war into a conversation piece for the mantel or dinner table, often brought home by returning veterans as tangible proof of the campaigns they had survived. The set comprises two demilitarized 88mm fuze bodies, catalogued as retaining a 1942 date consistent with wartime production, each fuze fitted with dispensing holes to function as salt and pepper shakers respectively. The two fuzes are held together in a custom-made caddy, apparently fabricated from sheet brass or similar metal by the original artisan, allowing the pair to be carried or displayed as a matched set. The fuzes and caddy show age-appropriate surface oxidation and patina consistent with wartime manufacture and decades of subsequent handling, along with light surface scratches and scattered pitting typical of ordnance components retained as souvenirs; no significant structural damage is noted to the caddy. Prospective bidders are encouraged to examine the lot closely to confirm markings and inert status prior to bidding. A tangible and conversation-worthy piece of WWII battlefield ingenuity, this fuze-turned-shaker set captures the enduring soldier’s habit of turning the tools of war into keepsakes of survival.
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