At first glance, this sleek table-topper could be like any flower vase in any suburban loungeroom.

Except that this one, with its polished metallic finish and insrcribed base, began life as a World War II bombshell.

In the 1960s, such striking vases were a familiar sight on the wards of Royal Perth Hospital, often filled with fresh flowers.

The Royal Perth Hospital Museum still has two examples in its collection but wants to know more about their production, including whose idea was it to turn bomb casings into vases.

Museum curator Sarah Toohey said they may have been crafted by returned servicemen recovering at Shenton Park Rehabilitation Hospital, which was then an annexe of RPH.

“With Remembrance Day being held this month, we’re hoping to uncover the story behind them,” Ms Toohey

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