Interesting Artwork + Photo German WWI Soldier

[Coinguy89]

I recieved this item the other day from an eBay purchase, please look at the photos and give me an opinion on it. I've never seen anything like this before. It is extremely fragile, as the photo and the painting, as well as frame are all original. A photo of the shown soldier was attached to cardboard or some other form of paper stock. The cardboard was then painted on, to give the piece quite the unique look.

Here is the page. The seller has a protection agaisnt copying the photos so you'll have to access the page.

Thanks!

[bob lembke]

"Coinguy89";

Looked at your item, and the only specific comment I have has to do with the soldier's (seems to be a flat-out private) cap. You see the two cockades? The top one is the Deutsche Kokarde and shows the Imperial colors, black, white, and red, in concentric rings, and was on the cap of every soldier. The lower cockade was that of the German state that his army was from (there actually were four German armies, plus units from other smaller states), the Landeskokarde, and most soldiers wore the Prussian colors of black and white. The picture is hardly perfect, and of course in black and white, but it seems overall to be lighter than the Prussian cockade, possibly it is the Bavarian cockade, blue and white (the Bavarian blue is fairly light), or less likely the Saxon cockade of green and white. (The Prussian cockade was black and white {nothing ambiguous there!}, and generally appears darker in most photos.)

The cap itself, with a leather peak, was possessed by all ranks, including privates, but at the front only officers and NCOs were allowed to wear them. But this picture was probably taken in a "state-side" studio. The cap was called the Dienstmuetze.

The inscription is hard to read but says "Aus xxxxxxzeit", or out of xxxxxxx-time", as in "out of war-time". The script seems to be post-war.

Bob Lembke