The Director Ivan - Stunning Trench Art Brass Lighter

The Director Ivan is a rare Soviet petrol lighter 

He has a crude engraving work of a man with a sledge hammer in work industrial setting.

The other side of the case has initials M B 

Ivan would have had a cloth fiber wick

Made out of recycled war refuse such as shell casings, Trench art objects are holders of soldiers' memories and reminders of the conflict they faced. Not to be mislead, Trench art does not just refer to things made by soldiers in the war trenches but also includes objects made out of war materials. The objects could be used to entertain and fill in time but at the same time help to mitigate the experiences of the war.

How it would this lighter work - 

Naphta based lighters use a saturated cloth/cotton wick and fiber/cotton packing to absorb the fluid and prevent it from leaking. They have an enclosed top to prevent evaporation of the volatile liquid and to extinguish the flame after use. The spark is created by striking metal against a flint. In naphta lighters the liquid is sufficiently volatile that flammable vapor is present as soon as the top of the lighter is opened. The spark ignites the flammable gas obtaining a flame burning until the lighter's top is closed.

Dates 1920

Very tactile piece, well used and worn giving it character and antique appeal

Dimensions 

Height: 6cm  Width: 3.3cm