Original Imperial German WWI Kaiserliche Marine Painted Souvenir Paddle Oar with Braided Ropes - Reservist Ziuk
In stock
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a very attractive hand painted Imperial German naval reservist souvenir paddle made for, or by, a sailor named Ziuk of the Kaiserliche Marine. Measuring 36⅞” long, it is decorated with Imperial German tricolor bands, a painted warship and lighthouse scene, patriotic flags, personal inscriptions, and carefully braided ropework.
The shaft is painted toward the head with a tricolor band of the Imperial German flag, with black, white, and red. One side of the oar head has a painted depiction of a Naval ship at the coat next to a lighthouse, with Imperial tri-color flags to each side with the text:
Ruder an zur Heimath
Resevist Ziuk
Row on to home!
Reservist Ziuk
The other side of the paddle has two painted Imperial German flags with the text:
O’gold’ne Freiheit - höchtes glück
wie sehn ich mich - nach dir zurück
Oh golden freedom—supreme bliss,
how I long to return to you.
The verse expresses the familiar reservist theme of longing for freedom and civilian life after military service.
The painted ship, lighthouse, national flags, and homecoming verse reflect the personal and emotional character of Imperial German reservist art. Such pieces were intended as commemorative objects rather than regulation naval equipment and were commonly displayed after the serviceman returned home.
The hand painted decoration shows expected age and wear, but the principal imagery, inscriptions, tricolor bands, and name remain clearly visible. The braided ropes are well retained and contribute strongly to the maritime appearance of the piece.
The painted naval scene, Imperial German flags, sentimental homecoming verse, and surviving braided ropework make this a particularly personal example of Kaiserliche Marine reservist material. Its one-of-a-kind decoration gives it value both as Imperial German naval folk art and as a record of the individual sailor whose name it bears.
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