Nail (fastener) - Nails in Art

Nails in Art

Nails have been used in art, such as the Nail Men - a form of fundraising common in Germany and Austria during World War I.

Before the 1850′s bocce and petanque boules were wooden balls, sometimes partially reinforced with hand-forged nails. When cheap, plentiful machine-made nails became available, manufacturers began to produce the boule cloutée — a wooden core studded with nails to create an all-metal surface. Nails of different metals and colors (steel, brass and copper) were used to create a wide variety of designs and patterns. Some of the old boules cloutées are genuine works of art and valued collectors items.