Tomoe Gozen

harrytheheid · Apr 14, 2019

From Alexandros Models in 90mm and painted as a straight copy of the boxart.
Very much a personal favorite in my collection.

I put her in a small vignette alongside these guys from Pegaso, but she doesn't really "fit", probably because she's from a much earlier era of Japanese history.
So she'll be coming back out of there and be displayed on her own individual base.

Cheers
H

Joe55 · Apr 14, 2019

You turned out a really attractive piece

!

Joe

megroot · Apr 14, 2019

Beautifull work, witch is lost into the background.
Could you take a picture without that background.

Marc

MoboSchreuder · Apr 14, 2019

Beautiful work and very nice painting

Mobo

Banjer · Apr 14, 2019

Beautiful, this figure is very high on my to do list.
Bill

harrytheheid · Apr 14, 2019

MoboSchreuder said:
Beautiful work and very nice painting
Mobo

Banjer said:
Beautiful, this figure is very high on my to do list.
Bill

Thanks for the kind comments Mobo and Bill.
Alexandros Models really set the bar high with this one. Some additional background info:-

Tomoe Gozen (Gozen being an honorific title) was a female samurai, and lived in the 12th – 13th century AD. She was married to Kiso Yoshinaka who rebelled against the Taira clan. In 1184 the couple took Kyoto after winning the Battle of Kurikawa. With the Taira forced into exile in the Western Provinces, Yoshinaka made it known that he desired to become the leader of the Minamoto clan - a suggestion that prompted an attack by Minamoto Yoritomo.
Yoshinaka and Tomoe faced Yoritomo's warriors at the Battle of Awazu; it’s said that Tomoe took at least one head during this battle. Some versions of her story have it that Tomoe died at Azawu with her husband, while others assert that she survived and became a nun.

The Heike Monogatari provides the following rather fanciful description of her;

"Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors."
(Tale of the Heike, translated by McCullough, pg. 291)

Although she was never known for using the Naginata, she's invariably portrayed carrying one in modern Japanese pop culture, as depicted in the Alexandros figure.
Here's a few photos of the WIP on the small vignette. Sorry they're not great quality; I'm a real klutz with a camera, and these were just quick shots for my files.
The base is a 200mm diameter wooden place holder that I turned upside down - and just happens to fit the inside rim of that miniature display table.

Here's the finished job.

As I mentioned in my initial post, I don't think she "fits" in with those three Pegaso figures.

But I can live with the vignette in one of our living room display cabinets until I get around to digging the figure out and fixing her onto an individual base.

Cheers
H

harrytheheid · Apr 14, 2019

Joe55 said:
You turned out a really attractive piece!
Joe

I'm glad you like it Joe.

Blind Pew · Apr 15, 2019

Stunning painting, a superb job.
Put her on a base in her own right. She just gets lost in that dio. Your eye is drawn to the action and she, as a supporting actor on the stage gets lost. She is so good that she deserves better.
Thanks for sharing this excellent piece.

harrytheheid · Apr 15, 2019

Blind Pew said:
Stunning painting, a superb job.
Put her on a base in her own right. She just gets lost in that dio. Your eye is drawn to the action and she, as a supporting actor on the stage gets lost. She is so good that she deserves better.
Thanks for sharing this excellent piece.

I completely agree that she needs to go on her own base. That's what I'm planning to do with her, and it turns out that I do have a suitable base available.
The standing Samurai in the vignette can be moved over to the left and be judging the fighting techniques of the two Dueling Samurai.
It's a win/win for me, as carrying this plan out will improve the vignette - and like you say, she deserves to be displayed in her own right anyway.
Sometimes I try things and they just don't work. Having Ms Gozen in the vignette is a case in point, but it's no biggie and easily rectified once I get around to it.

Cheers
H

DEL · Apr 15, 2019

Superb work Harry. The Tomoe Gozen stands out as a stunning individual piece of work.
Cheers
Derek

harrytheheid · Apr 15, 2019

DEL said:
Superb work Harry. The Tomoe Gozen stands out as a stunning individual piece of work.
Cheers
Derek

Thanks Del.
As I've previously mentioned, I'm primarily a diorama/vignette builder rather than an out-and-out figure painter; and this can tend to be reflected in the quality of stuff I churn out.
All too often my figures are at the lower end of the scale because I'm rushing them just to get the diorama finished.
It's the old lack of patience scenario, "Och, it's just for a diorama so that's enough time spent on that one, on with the next".
Truth be told, I'm only at the barely competent end of the spectrum as a figure painter, and because I want to ramp my ability up a bit, this forum is a good place to start learning to do so.
On the other hand, this figure wasn't rushed and took around three months to complete - I must've been between job assignments at the time - and I think the difference does show.
Glad you like it though, and I suppose I better get my finger out and put her on her own display base "toot-de-sweet"....

Cheers
H

DEL · Apr 15, 2019

harrytheheid said:
Thanks Del.
....... this figure wasn't rushed and took around three months to complete - I must've been between job assignments at the time - and I think the difference does show.
Cheers
H

It does show by quite a margin

D

harrytheheid · Apr 15, 2019

DEL said:
It does show by quite a margin
D

Geez, you're up late..!!
I've been a "Busy Little B" this morning. Here's a few quick shots of the revised vignette. Ms Gozen and the weeping willow have gone and I've moved the remaining tree a bit more to the left of the Non-Dueling Samurai.

Looks better I reckon. Well at least, it will once I get rid of the dust and stray hairs of static grass.
The Star Attraction herself will be coming up later today, err, prob'ly with a better background than our old telly.... :woot:

....

Cheers
H

harrytheheid · Apr 16, 2019

And here she is in all her solitary glory.

Both the vignette and the now stand-alone Tomoe Gozen look good in the display cabinet....BUT wait.... :wideyed:

I've only just realized that I spelled her name wrong on that cheapskate title plaque....DOH..??!!....

Oh well, it'll get fixed after I've stopped muttering and mumbling, "Oh for goodness sake", and completed "The Dance of Rage" all around the living room -- by tomorrow, maybe....

....

Cheers
H

harrytheheid · Apr 16, 2019

DEL said:
It does show by quite a margin
D

On reflection Del, I think much of it is down to the superb casting of the figure's face.
Although the faces of resin busts are simply amazing, it's arguably the best depiction of an Asian female face that I've ever seen in a 90mm white metal figure.

fullbeak · Jun 9, 2019

Great work and great pics! Stunning detail! Very impressive

arj · Jun 9, 2019

Another one I missed.
Excellent work on the titled subject.
The additional displays you presented show superb work throughout.

Cheers,
Andrew

harrytheheid · Jun 9, 2019

fullbeak said:
Great work and great pics! Stunning detail! Very impressive

arj said:
Another one I missed.
Excellent work on the titled subject.
The additional displays you presented show superb work throughout.

Cheers,
Andrew

Thanks very much guys. I appreciate the comments and glad you like these posts.

Cheers
H

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