Sunka Blonka

[elgreco]

La Meridiana, BFR-02​

• Sculpted by Carles Vaquero
• Painted boxart by Danilo Cartacci
• Material: Resin with white metal accessories
• 200mm resin bust; actual height 98mm (from base of pedestal to top of headdress not including base supplied)
• No. of pieces: 49 pieces (including white metal parts)

This is certainly an imposing bust with lots of very fine detail throughout with some very good sculpting. The bust comes in beige/tan resin colour with the head fitting snugly into the main body (see images). The headdress is the most complex part of assembly as this comes in* several pieces and will require some skill and patience. The sculpting of the feathers is well defined with lots of sharp detail. There is a minimal amount of flash on the feathers which can be easily removed. There are plug holes in the head and feathered sections which interlock but this can be tricky as there are no assembly instructions. However once you get the order of sequence right the headdress will come together nicely. There are 40 tassels in white metal which hang from the headdress and need to be fitted individually. There are also two feathered bits (ermine side streamers) in metal which slot nicely onto plug holes on either side of the face and a single feather which slots* into a plug hole behind the ear. A single scull cap fits well onto the back of the head. The kit also comes with an attractive wooden base which is a common feature of all La Meridiana busts.

Now for the body – there is lots of great detail all over, which is testomony to the skill of the sculptor. The face is full of character bringing out all the characteristics of the Native American Indians.

The kit comes in a cardboard box, wrapped securely between two foam blocks. A single boxart image of the piece along with two additional insertions of back and side views on the front boxart with additional written references and painting guide inside the box although the text is in Italian. The English translation for this is available on our website here.

Due to the complex assembly of this bust the following text is courtesy of Dave Salter who is in the process of painting this bust.

Assembly: This is dictated by the painting process. The head is secured with the main warbonnet feather attached. At this point, careful study of the boxart is required toget the individual feathers in the correct place. The last back section needs to be left aside in order to allow painting. When this section is fitted later on, some gaps need to be filled in with putty. Putty may also be required when the main feathers are attached. Some mould lines also need to be removed. All the tassels need to be cleaned up individually – this is time-consuming but the final result is well worth the effort. As* a painting guideline, follow the boxart which is painted by Danilo Cartacci as it is a good representation of the subject.


Conclusion:* This is really an impressive piece. Patience is the name of the game in order to achieve the best result. The bust comes alive as the parts are put together. Due to the complexity of the assembled kit, a tall base is recommended for handling. This just adds to the overall impressive nature of the kit and avoids future damage. Final thought, it would be hard to find a better representation of this bust.

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