VerSacrum
PlanetFigure Supporter
The following is a product review and historical analysis of Tin Berlin's new 75mm medieval figure (75-059). I have purchased this figure on my own because it's in my area of interest for personal collection.
Note that the figure is also available in 54mm and as a large half-figure.
The first part is a historical evaluation with a collection of reference pictures. If that doesn't interest you or you like to do your research yourself, you may scroll down to the segment relating to the casting quality and the conclusion.
Part I - Historical Breakdown
Here we have a representation of a late 14th/early 15th century Continental European knight, digitally sculpted by Oleg Pogosyan and cast in resin by Tin Berlin.
There is nothing negative I can say about the sculpt itself - it's beautiful, even if it perhaps wouldn't fit a preference for more dynamic "in combat" poses.
The figure is entitled "Tournament Favourite" and one can vividly imagine him in such a scenario, receiving the adoration of the crowd or the favour of a lady. The matching, old-fashioned "Quillon" dagger and arming sword at his waist leave no doubt about his knightly status.
Another striking feature of the figure is the houppelande he's wearing under his cuirass and over the hauberk (mail shirt). This was a style of garment with long, voluminous sleeves that appeared in the 1360's and became very trendy with both men and women until well into the 15th century, particularly with the courts and patrician citizenry of France, Burgundy and the various states of the Holy Roman Empire. They would frequently be patterned or bicolour, more rarely heraldic, sometimes made of velvet, brocade and other luxury textiles or lined with precious furs. The type worn in combat situations would have been shortened at the waist for practicality and there were some differences in the types worn by women, which were belted beneath the bust instead of at the waist.
Moralists criticised the fashion as being too extravagant. They may have had a point as this was the main principle behind them - "Look at how much expensive fabric I can afford!"
A preserved Tyrolean figure of St. George wearing a houppelande from ca. 1430.
He is also wearing a plaque belt, another widespread display of opulence and status, which could be entirely gold, silver or enamelled with ornaments and heraldic symbols.
The helmet he wears is a bascinet, recognisable by its cowl-like, curved shape, meant to aid the deflection of blows and arrows. While their principle itself was common throughout all Europe, there were some differences in their construction. Italian-school armourers started to mount the visors on the side of the helmet in the second half of the 14th century, like in this figure, while in German/Central European effigies we can still see the single-hinged "Klappvisier" style and more of an onion topped shape during the early-mid 1400's. This preference of style was not completely universal and shouldn't hinder your creativity.
At first glance, the reference used for this particular one seems to have been the Lyle Bascinet from Northern Italy, a beautiful example of Late Medieval metallurgy, and now exhibited in the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Decorating bascinets with dyed plumes, wreaths, coronets etc. was common, well reflected in Oleg's sculpt.
Another noteable element in his armour are his hourglass gauntlets, of which we have some preserved examples - the ones I know of are the ones of Edward of Woodstock ("The Black Prince") and in the Churburg Armoury.
Shields were on their way out in the late 14th Century because plate armour became so effective they were more of a hindrance than a help - nonetheless these smaller types with a "bouche" (lance rest) could still be seen, particularly in tournaments.
I'm going to stop gushing here, you get the point - the sculptor clearly did his research.
Part II - Casting quality and Painting
![20250124_143325[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/planetfigure/data/attach/514/514478-20250124-143325-1-.jpg "20250124_143325[1].jpg")
The cast is good. Some imperfections to clean here and there, but nothing major to complain about. Very minor traces of mould lines on flat, non-problematic areas that are easily scraped off, I suspect it was presanded but do double check. The fit of Tin Berlin kits is generally great and this one is no exception. Only the base and feet didn't fit at all out of the box and would have required sanding, but since I planned to pin the figure directly on a wooden block anyway this wasn't necessary.
The head with its aventail (directly attached curtain of mail) comes separately and I do recommend painting it separately - the small eyes in particular will require a steady hand and a lens. The mail is very realistically sculpted and just a bit of care in painting it (don't lay the primer on too thick!) will really make this model a looker. It would take a very dedicated rivet counter to get an accurate number on the countless individual rings, it's very impressive. The same goes for the plumes and the leather straps, which have very fine, realistic surface detail.
![20250124_171027[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/planetfigure/data/attach/514/514487-20250124-171027-1-.jpg "20250124_171027[1].jpg")
![20250125_102900(0)[1].jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/planetfigure/data/attach/514/514488-20250125-102900-0-1-.jpg "20250125_102900(0)[1].jpg")
You must take care when stripping Tin Berlin models with alcohol or commercial paint strippers, even those labelled as safe for resin, as in my own experience they are a little softer/more sensitive than others. Thin parts quickly will become rubbery if you leave them swimming too long. However it also means that bent parts can easily be straightened with hot water and they seem to retain their form - I really like this particular "feature" of Tin Berlin figures.
As is always the case with these medieval models, there are near endless possibilities in how to paint them up. One can browse through the various preserved armorials available in books and the web and choose a historic coat of arms or even create your own.
For my own humble painting I was inspired by the arms of the Bohemian Rosenberg dynasty, the "Lords of the Rose", but a more skilled painter could go all out with decorating both the shield and the fabric with intricate patterns.
The price of 42 euros is within the reasonable range for a 75mm figure and the shipping was done quickly and well packaged, which is a good thing because I accidentally dropped it on the way to my flat.
Part III - Conclusion
I don't really feel like tacking on a rating score here, I'll just leave a big thumbs up and a clear purchase recommendation. It's a lovely addition to Tin Berlin's already impressive range of no-nonsense, highly authentic medieval models and was a joy to paint up.
Feel free to offer your own thoughts, point out things I missed etc.
Thanks for reading and all the best,
Cyrill
Note that the figure is also available in 54mm and as a large half-figure.
The first part is a historical evaluation with a collection of reference pictures. If that doesn't interest you or you like to do your research yourself, you may scroll down to the segment relating to the casting quality and the conclusion.
Part I - Historical Breakdown
Here we have a representation of a late 14th/early 15th century Continental European knight, digitally sculpted by Oleg Pogosyan and cast in resin by Tin Berlin.
There is nothing negative I can say about the sculpt itself - it's beautiful, even if it perhaps wouldn't fit a preference for more dynamic "in combat" poses.
The figure is entitled "Tournament Favourite" and one can vividly imagine him in such a scenario, receiving the adoration of the crowd or the favour of a lady. The matching, old-fashioned "Quillon" dagger and arming sword at his waist leave no doubt about his knightly status.
Another striking feature of the figure is the houppelande he's wearing under his cuirass and over the hauberk (mail shirt). This was a style of garment with long, voluminous sleeves that appeared in the 1360's and became very trendy with both men and women until well into the 15th century, particularly with the courts and patrician citizenry of France, Burgundy and the various states of the Holy Roman Empire. They would frequently be patterned or bicolour, more rarely heraldic, sometimes made of velvet, brocade and other luxury textiles or lined with precious furs. The type worn in combat situations would have been shortened at the waist for practicality and there were some differences in the types worn by women, which were belted beneath the bust instead of at the waist.
Moralists criticised the fashion as being too extravagant. They may have had a point as this was the main principle behind them - "Look at how much expensive fabric I can afford!"
A preserved Tyrolean figure of St. George wearing a houppelande from ca. 1430.
He is also wearing a plaque belt, another widespread display of opulence and status, which could be entirely gold, silver or enamelled with ornaments and heraldic symbols.
The helmet he wears is a bascinet, recognisable by its cowl-like, curved shape, meant to aid the deflection of blows and arrows. While their principle itself was common throughout all Europe, there were some differences in their construction. Italian-school armourers started to mount the visors on the side of the helmet in the second half of the 14th century, like in this figure, while in German/Central European effigies we can still see the single-hinged "Klappvisier" style and more of an onion topped shape during the early-mid 1400's. This preference of style was not completely universal and shouldn't hinder your creativity.
At first glance, the reference used for this particular one seems to have been the Lyle Bascinet from Northern Italy, a beautiful example of Late Medieval metallurgy, and now exhibited in the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Decorating bascinets with dyed plumes, wreaths, coronets etc. was common, well reflected in Oleg's sculpt.
Another noteable element in his armour are his hourglass gauntlets, of which we have some preserved examples - the ones I know of are the ones of Edward of Woodstock ("The Black Prince") and in the Churburg Armoury.
Shields were on their way out in the late 14th Century because plate armour became so effective they were more of a hindrance than a help - nonetheless these smaller types with a "bouche" (lance rest) could still be seen, particularly in tournaments.
I'm going to stop gushing here, you get the point - the sculptor clearly did his research.
Part II - Casting quality and Painting
The cast is good. Some imperfections to clean here and there, but nothing major to complain about. Very minor traces of mould lines on flat, non-problematic areas that are easily scraped off, I suspect it was presanded but do double check. The fit of Tin Berlin kits is generally great and this one is no exception. Only the base and feet didn't fit at all out of the box and would have required sanding, but since I planned to pin the figure directly on a wooden block anyway this wasn't necessary.
The head with its aventail (directly attached curtain of mail) comes separately and I do recommend painting it separately - the small eyes in particular will require a steady hand and a lens. The mail is very realistically sculpted and just a bit of care in painting it (don't lay the primer on too thick!) will really make this model a looker. It would take a very dedicated rivet counter to get an accurate number on the countless individual rings, it's very impressive. The same goes for the plumes and the leather straps, which have very fine, realistic surface detail.
You must take care when stripping Tin Berlin models with alcohol or commercial paint strippers, even those labelled as safe for resin, as in my own experience they are a little softer/more sensitive than others. Thin parts quickly will become rubbery if you leave them swimming too long. However it also means that bent parts can easily be straightened with hot water and they seem to retain their form - I really like this particular "feature" of Tin Berlin figures.
As is always the case with these medieval models, there are near endless possibilities in how to paint them up. One can browse through the various preserved armorials available in books and the web and choose a historic coat of arms or even create your own.
For my own humble painting I was inspired by the arms of the Bohemian Rosenberg dynasty, the "Lords of the Rose", but a more skilled painter could go all out with decorating both the shield and the fabric with intricate patterns.
The price of 42 euros is within the reasonable range for a 75mm figure and the shipping was done quickly and well packaged, which is a good thing because I accidentally dropped it on the way to my flat.
Part III - Conclusion
I don't really feel like tacking on a rating score here, I'll just leave a big thumbs up and a clear purchase recommendation. It's a lovely addition to Tin Berlin's already impressive range of no-nonsense, highly authentic medieval models and was a joy to paint up.
Feel free to offer your own thoughts, point out things I missed etc.
Thanks for reading and all the best,
Cyrill
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