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Trench art is any decorative item made by soldiers, or prisoners of war, 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.
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 subsequent Wars. Some items manufactured by soldiers, or prisoners of wars during earlier conflicts have been retrospectively described as trench art