Review Zhao Yun From Linjo Models

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Hi again ,
Well after taking several valium after doing a full figure review (only joking!!!) I have a bust to review , following on from my initial post :

http://www.planetfigure.com/threads...yun-of-the-three-kingdoms.47490/watch-confirm

We have a warrior from Ancient China from Linjo :

Subject : Zhao Yun of the Three Kingdoms (AD.168-229)
Scale: 200mm
Parts: 5
Material: Resin
Code: LJ20021
Sculptor: Chunmei Zhou
Box Art : Songhui Liu

So who was this soldier ..often shrouded in mystery he was loyal and dedicated soldier , still fighting at 70 !!!He lived during the later Han period in Chinese history ...a warrior indeed.
Zhao Yun was a disciplinarian who was able to differentiate between personal friendship and official relatiionships.Zhao Yun died in 229 in Hanzhong and was granted the posthumous title of "Marquis of Shunping"

He has been portrayed in films , books and PC games , all promoting the heroic image of this leader .

As usual the model was supplied in the very strong and distinctive black boxes,with rthe parts snadwiched secrely between two 2.5cm pieces of foam ...good protection of your precious model .

There are a total of 5 parts , the torso , the helmet (with head enclosed) , the horsehair helmet piece, the ties( a bow for the securing cords of the helmet) and of course the same pedastal base as others in the range

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Starting as usual with the largest of the pieces the torso :

He is sculpted wearing armour used by soldiers of this period , his quality would of course be the best , givinng the very upmost in protection in battle .

He had the best and really all I have to say is the sculpting is a TRIUMPH , its excellent and all of the hard work and skill put in by the sculptor has paid dividends in the casting .

This is a model of the highest quality , undercutting has to be seen to be believed , over his armour he has a cloak .

The details on the armour itself is really nothing short of superb (guess I like this!!!) , , undercuts are very good indeed ...this is a painters model giving the opportunity to go wild on amour washes ...distressing the surface of leaving it new ..the choice is yours !

The cloak is attached to the armour and realy looks like it is pulling on the rings ..great stuff , folds on the cloak are deep and there is plenty of movement in this .

There is only a casting plug to remove carefully from under the right side .

The clothes he wears are again a fine representation , the cloth hanging naturally under the shoulder armour .

Enough of this lets have the pictures ....

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Now onto the head and helmet :

As stated the head is wearing the distinctive helmet which again like the torso has some great details on it around the edging and on either side , there is a small piece of excess casting plug to remove from the top ready to fit the horsehair piece (there is a small casting plug to apply the razor saw to at the bottom of it) .

The face has great features that are very sharp indeed , no blemishes , looking Chinese , the helmet is being held on under the chin with a tie ( there is a small amount of flashing to deal with before fitting this) .

The area between the helmet and the flesh area has gain good definition , the neck is angled to fit into the neck area on the torso ..as expected the fit is spot on ..I will still pin though ...don't wabnt to loose his head in transit to a show!!!.

Let the pictures speak a thousand words folks !!!

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The final piece is of course the base:

As with other releases this is a simple but effective pedastal piece , fit into the corresponding hole in the undersides of the base is tight and secure ....a small amount of sanding was needed to clean up the bottom piece of the base ...out come the sanding pads ..easy .

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My final thoughts :

This is an absolute cracker of a bust , the care in both the sculpting and casting are QUALITY , presentation is very good as with all others from Linjo.

If you like a challenge when paintng armour effects then this is the one for you .

As always have a look at the Linjo website , you will not be dissapointed , this is definately a company that is going from strength to strength , learning and improving with every release , producing models that will I have no doubt hold a special place in the display cabinet.

Website details : www.linjomodels.com

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[bagelman1952]

Thank you. Looks nice.

 

[Michael Tse]

The best Chinese likeness yet, from a company the entire country should be proud of. With sculpting Chinese subjects, there is too often a temptation to NOT portray the eyes and nose faithfully, and the forehead will tend to be oversized too. Can't blame the artists, as this is what the colleges teach them to do. A browse of sculptures and paintings thru the 50s all the way to 70s, u got plenty of such pieces kidding oneself with the subject of what Chinese people look like. Thats why a faithful portrayal is so sought after. Well done indeed!

 

[Jazz]

Great review as always Kevin. Good facial features and lots of detail on this bust.