Antique WW2 GERMAN Prisoner War TRENCH ART MANNEKIN PIS Ashtray 105mm SIGNED

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Antique WW2 GERMAN Prisoner War TRENCH ART MANNEKIN PIS Ashtray 105mm SIGNED:
$299.50

EXCEPTIONAL Original WW2 World War II GERMAN PRISONER of WAR TRENCH Art ASHTRAY made from the base of a US 105mm Howitzer Shell, bullets (maybe .303 or M1?) and a little replica of the famous Mannekin Pis statue of Brussels.
This piece has engraved lettering in the GERMAN Black Letter style around the shell casing with the prisoners name \"Lance R Lewis\" and \"Belgium 1946 POW #9\". There are also artistic floral flourishes done in stipple engraving.
The shell casing was smoothly cut off, and notches filed into the rim. As far as we can tell, the holes for the bullets were neatly drilled, and the jacketed bullets soldered into place.
The Mannekin Pis figure, the famous Peeing Boy statue of Brussels, is marked \"Bruxelles\" on the base and was commercially made. May be soldered in place as well - not sure.
The base of the shell reads \"105mm M4 Type 1\" and is dated 1944. Primer is also dated 1944.
About 5 1/2\" in diameter and 4\" high. Made of HEAVY SOLID BRASS
No breaks. One of the bullets has some corrosion. Some corrosion around where the bullets are soldered in to the shell casing, otherwise pretty clear, as shown.
This item came from a Massachusetts estate, but we have no further background information on it. More than 40,000 German POWs were interned in camps in Belgium as late as 1947.