There is something romantic in the figure of a soldier bent over his task creating beauty from the ugliness of war, and for centuries soldiers have passed the slow times of war by doing just that. These pieces of war memorabilia and art are commonly called trench art. Outside of the margins of eras and names examples of this art date back long before trench warfare was established, early examples include wooden boxes, marquetry boxes, carved items from soup bones and items of plaited straw created by prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars.