Souvenir timber case featuring carved South African Engineers Corps badge

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c. 1940

Overview

Souvenir timber case in the form of a book featuring a carved depiction of a South African Engineers Corps badge from World War Two on the front and a camel on the back.
The badge has a central shield or coat of arms featuring two springboks, which is surrounded by a circular border in which is written 'South Africa' at the top and 'Suid Afrika' below.
Under this is a wreath of leaves containing a scroll on which the motto 'Engineers Genie' is inscribed, and above which is the King's Crown. The badge is on a stippled background and contained within two curved borders which meet at either end, resembling an eye. Further carved decoration appears in the form a rectanglur border.
The reverse of the case is carved in a similar arrangement, with the central motif being of a grazing camel with sand hills and a palm tree around it. The sky above within the eye-shaped border is stippled.
The spine of the book is curved and has two horizontal lines carved into it at the top and bottom. A third line is visible in the middle, but this is actually a join where the two sections come apart. It is difficult to pull the moving section out sufficiently to reveal the internal cavity, but it is typical of items made in the Middle East with hidden drawers or recesses.

Historical information

This item was likely purchased by a member of the South Afruica Engineers Corps as a souvenir while on active service in the Middle East. Judging by its size, it may have been used as a cigarette case.

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

Registration number

cwa-org-119-RoW00779

Item type

Themes