Engraving memories

The discarded ammunition casings used to produce this jug are made of copper alloy, which is particularly easy to engrave. Due to the scale of the war, the demand for bullets was great, and copper was widely used in the manufacture of bullets and weapons.

Most bullets and shells are made of brass (30% zinc and 70% copper) alloy. It has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, ductility, and corrosion resistance. The plasticity of copper makes it easy to process the material into unique shapes and sizes, which makes it easy to engrave as well.

A lot of art at the time was made of brass because it was so malleable that it could be easily molded into any shape and size, making it easy to manipulate without the specialized skills of a craftsman.