I like this figure but I wanted to seek second opinion and asked some frinds who know better
.
Therefore I would like to post here comments from my friend who is a specialist on the Winged hussars. Radek Sikora, who has been long known as a passionate reanactor of the 17th century Polish hussar equipment and also a recognized writer/scholar, the author of numerous articles and books on the Hussaria eg. wrote "Husaria Phenomenon" pub. 2004 and is expecting his next book("Polish Army during 1626-29 war with Sweden") this June with foreword by prof. Robert Frost.
Here are his comments:
...this hussar towarzysz (knight) is a very impressive figure and generally speaking he is ok historically. I only would like to state a few minor comments about some details of this figure:
1. Color choices - a more typical color arrangement for the winged hussar was almost always crimson for his zhupan and yellow for his boots, very unlike the color choices made for this figure. It does not mean that the hussars could not have their zhupans of ... color (just a movement, what is this color? Not quite a dark green nor grayish green). Of course they could have picked this color (whatever it may be), but amongst the winged hussars, certainly it was crimson that dominated their color selection for clothes/uniforms while yellow was the one selected for their footwear.
2. Leopard skin - I do have some comments about that leopard skin. First, I have never encountered or been familiar with a type of arrangement presented here i.e., the skin's textile lining actually protrudes from underneath the actual leopard skin. And in this figure, one part of the pin is attached to that very lining of the leopard skin – definitely incorrect. Secondly, the actual pin, securing the skin on the figure, is somewhat odd or strangely arranged. Truly, the pin's two parts are attached to skin (or more precisely here - to the lining of that skin) yet nothing connects these two elements of this pin! Normally, re-attachable chain was used to secure the two sides of the pin thus fastening the skin securely on hussar's shoulders. But without a chain, connecting these two elements of this pin attached to the skin/lining/, this leopard skin would have simply fallen off.
3. I am also bothered a bit by the multitude of this figure's headgear. Why does he have this kolpack (fur-linned hat)on his head when he holds in his right hand his helmet (shishak)?
4. The Wing - here is not mistake in construction, yet I would like to point to one important aspect of making choices to combine elements seemingly historically accurate. The wing used here for this hussar is not contemporaneous with the type of armor the figure is wearing. This wing belongs to the very late 17th century (or rather more correctly it is the 18th century creation)and his armor belongs to period of 1640-1670. Of course one could explain how this unlikely union occured – let us say that a hussar of 1690 possessed older version of the armor, but his wanting to be more fashionable (trendy) caused him to attach a new type of wing to his favorite armor
. Those things were possible, yet that would be some exceptional, extraordinary occurrence and definitely not a norm amongst the proud and truly richest elite of the Polish 17th century army that used to have the best horses, the best and most fashionable armor, most magnificent weapons, saddles, clothes, wings etc, and all that at the same time.
But my comments given here do not change the generally very positive(high) mark I will give this figure. One last thing, it is a pity he is not mounted on a horse.
