Hand-Carved Souvenir Plate, 1940s

Details

Description

A hand-carved commemorative plate of great sentimental, historical, and artistic value. "for your freedom and ours" – 1939–1944, eagle, poland

… Read more A hand-carved commemorative plate of great sentimental, historical, and artistic value. "for your freedom and ours" – 1939–1944, eagle, poland

the plate bears the motto:

"for your and our freedom" (polish)

"voor uw en onze vrijheid" (dutch: "for your freedom and ours")
this motto was the motto of the polish armed forces in the west, fighting in, among other places, the netherlands during world war ii.
the dates 1939–1944 refer to the period of poland's participation in world war ii.

central motif: a crowned eagle, symbol of the polish army.

two hussar wings – a symbolic reference to poland's military tradition.

creator: fr. Łyko
it's possible that a soldier or veteran made this plate by hand, perhaps as a memento after the war, perhaps while in exile (in the netherlands, belgium, or great britain).
works of this type were often created in refugee, veteran, or combatant camps.

time of creation:

probably made in the 1940s or 1950s, perhaps just after the war – a time when many poles remained abroad.
the carving style and commemorative character suggest handicraft typical of veteran communities.

dimensions:
diameter: 44 cm
height (depth): 4.3 cm
technique: hand-carved wood, color contrast between the motif and the background See less