WWI era shop display of Lee Enfield rifle letter openers
c. 1915World War One era timber shop display holding eight brass letter openers in the form of Lee Enfield rifles with bayonets.
The whole display appears to be hand made. The timber frame is crudely put together and not symmetrical.
The timber frame has notches into which the rifle stocks fit and corresponding holes above through which the bayonets are secured.
The guns are also individually made rather than mass-produced. There are slight variations in their markings and shape.
Each gun has two metal loops which may have had a chain attached at some point to represent the sling, but these are missing.
This item was produced around the time of World War One. Although it isn't possible to know who made it or why, it could have been made as occupational therapy by a convalescing soldier . Alternatively, it may have been made by a disabled or discharged serviceman looking to supplement his income.
Presumably, the timber frame would have housed 12 letter openers, so 4 have been sold or lost over time.
The Lee–Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth during both World Wars, and was the standard service rifle of the British Armed Forces from 1895 until 1957.
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