Souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem

Overview

Hinged, rectangular, varnished olive wood box with a decorative grain. The lid features a middle eastern motif of silhouettes of a camel and its camel driver beneath a date palm, all with long shadows extending to the left. This is positioned on some orange coloured paint representing the earth.
The word 'Jerusalem' is printed in black gothic writing in the upper left corner.
The inside of the box is unlined and unvarnished. There is some red discolouration to the inside of the lid. The lid is affixed to the bottom of the box by two gold metal hinges. The bottom of the box is plain.

Historical information

Visiting servicemen and women purchased a variety of souvenirs from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Palestine and The Holy Land while passing through on active service during both world wars.
Some of the more common items were embroideries such as cushion covers, painted artworks on fabric, jewellery made from mother of pearl, metal and timber, and photo albums with wooden covers filled with postcards of local scenes and pressed dried flowers.
There was also a range of trinket boxes, often with hidden drawers, made from the local olive wood and a range of other olive wood items including napkin rings and even a portable book shelf.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-119-RoW00788
Width
162 mm
Height or length
91 mm
Depth
38 mm
Inscriptions and markings

On left hand corner of lid:

"Jerusalem"

Last modified
Friday, 31 October, 2025
Completeness
83
Recollections of War

Recollections of War

Top view of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Top view of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of top of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of top of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Inside of open souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Inside of open souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Underside of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Underside of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of back of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of back of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of front of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem
Oblique view of back of souvenir olive wood box from Jerusalem

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