Knockaloe bone vase
Date made: 1917
Description: One of a pair of carved beef bone candlesticks or short stemmed vases, with a plain wooden base, made in Knockaloe Civilian Internment Camp by an unknown internee. A single flower is hand carved in bas relief on the front of the vase, a simple band is carved around the rim and a stone wall at the base of the bone. 'I.O.M. 1917' is carved on the reverse of the vase. The hollow bone vase is attached to the base by a wooden plug nailed to the base.
The matching pair of vases were purchased for £6 from an antique stall in Telford and subsequently donated to Manx National Heritage.
Internees were held on the Isle of Man in two camps, a requisitioned holiday camp in Douglas and a purpose built camp located at Knockaloe near Peel on the west coast of the Island. These held at their peaks over 4,000 and 23,000 men in some cases for nearly five years between opening in 1914 and final closure in 1919. Over 30,000 men passed through Knockaloe between 1914 and 1917, more than the population of Douglas the largest town.
Measurements: overall: 12.7 cm x 8.4 cm
Materials: mammal bone, steel, wood
Object name: vase
Collection: Social History Collection
ID Number: 1983-0268a
Subject tags : #WW1INTERNMENTMUSEUMCOLLECTIONS