Germany - "Zur Erinnerung An Meine Dienstzeit" - Franco Prussian War.
This is a soldier's souvenir of his military service, Zur Erinnerung An Meine Dienstzeit (In Honor of my Service Time) and is thought to be from a veteran of the Franco-Prussian War. This collage contains mementos of a soldier's military experience. The central emblem is a stylized guard house decorated in diagonal black and white stripes; the Prussian colors. At the bottom of the guard house is a stylized Prussian shield. The crossed flags on the shield are those of North German Confederation with Prussia the leading member.
The Zur Erinnerung An Meine Dienstzeit souvenir is decorated with wax castings of floral decorations, personages and identification. The piece is personalized, "Kah. Hollwedell, 2. Batt. Fuss. Atrl. Schiesschule" (Kahnrad Hollwedell, 2nd Battery Artillery Fusilier School). There are miniature replicas of the regiment's shoulder insignia in the center, in this case the 10th Artillery Fusilier School.
These mementos were mass-produced and were sold widely. This one contains elaborately reproduced miniatures of the unit's shoulder boards; painted and unpainted wax castings in German characters, and images of the Kaiser along with other militaria.
Acquired in 2007 by purchase in Germany.
ZFC Noteworthy Flag
Sources:
Franco-Prussian War, Wikipedia, 10 May 2012, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Prussian_War
Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection
