SENT WITH LOVE
A love token from a wounded British soldier to his beloved, the ‘sweetheart cushion’ is the ultimate romantic gesture, not to mention a precious piece of WWI history. During the war, wounded, shell-shocked and convalescing soldiers were given making kits of fabrics, pins, beads, ribbons, general sewing items and other crafting ephemera to make a pincushion to send home. The main aim was to help focus their minds on those they loved by way of post-trauma therapy. Attaching a representation of his regiment, each soldier’s piece is a snapshot of a deeply personal journey. ‘Many antiques will never show their backstory, but sweetheart cushions provide a beautiful entry point for research into the individual, the regiment and its military history,’ says Alan Brice, antiques collector and seller. (etsy.com/uk/shop/ alantiqueuk)