Trench art

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Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, prisoners of war, or civilians^{[citation needed]} where the manufacture is directly linked to armed conflict or its consequences. It offers an insight not only to their feelings and emotions about the war, but also their surroundings and the materials they had available to them.^[1] It is controversial whether items made of body parts can be considered trench art, such as a letter-opener made from an arm bone, which was gifted to Franklin Roosevelt.

Not limited to the World Wars, the history of trench art spans conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the present day. Although the practice flourished during World War I, the term 'trench art' is also used to describe souvenirs manufactured by service personnel during World War II. Some items manufactured by soldiers, prisoners of war or civilians during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art.