Rare Soviet Era Relic 1956 Hungarian Revolution Wire Wrapped Defiance Bottle For Sale

This is a fascinatingpiece of history in the form of a colorful bottle. When the Hungarian revolutionbroke out in Budapest in October of 1956 the revolutionaries quickly tore certain telecommunication cables up in order to stop the hardline communist government officials and the State Protection Authority (Hungarian Secret Police) from communicating and organizing a brutal crackdown with theirRussian masters. Some of the women noticed the brightly colored bundle of smaller wires withinthe black telephone cables. There already existed a tradition of women weaving colorful straw covers over bottles that were used by factory workers, miners and other members of the proletariat as easily identifiable personal water bottles carried to work with theirlunch tins. Many began to repurpose this wire, which would have been used to hurt them, by weaving it over new bottles making something to help people and expressing theirdefiance of the soviet regime in bright colors and patterns. This bottle uses the colors to create the Hungarian flag 3 times over the red, white and green bars divided by a blue section. It has its original cap and a handle, The bottom edge is made from aluminum ground wire and makes for a strong base. Unfortunately the Russians arrived in early November and, at Stalin\'s orders, recaptured the city killingthousands and imprisoning 10\'s of thousands. About 200000 fled to Austria including the artist who wovethis bottle along with her husband. When bottles like this made thier appearence in Europe they created a fad of wire wrapping bottles that were referred to as Scouofferu bottles. But of the original 1956 Hungarian Defiance Bottles very few are known to exist today. The artist and her husband later emigrated to Canada where I purchased it from her about 30 years ago. I kept it in my office for decades and it inspired me many times but my fighting days are behind me now. It\'s time for this amazing artifact to move on to someone new whose biggest fights are ahead of them. Free tracked shipping is included.