Oda
A Fixture
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2016
- Messages
- 5,562
Morning PF colleagues.After a long time I have a new completed work to present.It is a 75mm Byzantine officer by my beloved Altores.I have decided to make him a high ranking official(the Byzantines had a dual rank system so high ranking officers of the army also held a court official rank/commision)so I have given him rather rich clothes and weapons.His tunic (of Iranian origin) is in pale pink silk with stamped decoration and a sewn on light green border embroidered in gold thread.His soft armour is in two tones and in rich deep colours (dark pine green and burgundy).The headscarf has decorative bands in red brocade with gold thread embroidery.The axe (also heavily influenced by the Iranian saddle axe-tabarzin-) is steel with the handle cast in one piece with the head and heavily damascened in gold and silver.More of a sign of rank than an actual weapon.The shield has a decorative rim showing a stylized vine (complete with grapes if you look too closely).The vine has strong religious connotations in the Greek Orthodox doctrine.The shield blazon is one of the fighting saints of the Greek Orthodox church(in this case a picture of St Mercurios was used as reference which you can see on the background).It is painted in immitation of Byzantine religious painting,an art still practised in Orthodox countries like Greece or Russia.It is called Ayiographia(literally painting of saints) and it is unique.It has its own strict rules e.g perspective does not apply,as source of lighting is considered the person's inner self and not the outside world(a closer look on the background will give you a clue).I have tried to make the shield's boss serve as the saint's shield.The boss itself is in two metals (gilt bronze and steel)with the central part damascened in gold scroll work.Boots in soft buff leather.Sword with very sombre,businesslike appearance(after all he is a soldier)As usual pics are the best I can do at my present state of anthropological evolution.They come from an i-phone and some of the figure's existing contrast has saddly been lost(but is is there I assure you).The figure is sculpted by Dmitry Shevzov and is released by Altores as part of a five figure series (four on foot and one on horseback) on the Byzantine army of the 10th century.As always all kinds of comment and critique are welcome.
