This was Chris's question-mark. Flanked by
two known or believed to be Zang or Zang for Timpo (Timpolin) figures
- a pilot on the left and Tommy Atkins on the right - is an unknown guardsman
in a similar material and style, but with a strange stalactite of flash running
down his front, which Chris reports (it's not clear in the image) is painted a
different colour. I wondered if that might indicate the removal of a drum or
standard, but neither would match the arm/hand positioning?
I also think he may have been re-painted as
he looks very clean and the flesh is pale for Zang? Now I know some Zang
ceremonial guards have recently turned up but I was lead to believe they were
matched to the 30/35mm highlander, not this 50/54mm size, so a big question
mark here?
If not Zang,
a name-in-the-frame could be Plastoline
(Msrs. D. Brown and M. Leech) of whose 'output' or 'production' I know of the
first three items (more on the 'known' another day).
They worked in Plasticine, hardened with what the old school (old-old-old-school) euphemistically
referred to as 'banana oil' in old figure-modelling tomes, which could be any
one of several things; cellulose 'dope' (flying-aeroplane modelling), cellulose
lacquer or nitro-toluene thinners (automotive trade) or acetone (nail-varnish
remover), or even wood-hardener - destroyer of good brushes?
These four figures, however, are unknown
but in the style of Plastoline's
known figures (anatomy wasn't their strong point) and anything anyone knows
about them would be very helpful.
I suspect the first three are Chang-Kai-Chek's
Imperial Chinese forces from the 2nd World War (70-years ago today - there's
always method in SSW's madness . . . well, nearly always!); an officer (marked
10) and two soldiers (one marked 14) while the last figure is probably an early
(WWI'ish) NBC-warfare (ABC/CBN) operative (marked 4), spraying gas by hand,
whilst dressed in protective equipment, but which nation, or is it Sci-Fi, or
an early Air Force firefighter, or a DDT fumigator?
He appears to have two tanks on his back,
presumably; one to breath, one to spray shit with . . . stopping other people
breathing forever?
It's very unlikely to get much odder, more
unusual, or any rarer, on Small Scale World than these chaps, so if anyone can
add anything; it'll be appreciated by the other 800-odd daily visitors.
Many thanks to Adrian Little and Chris Smith for
the images.
4 comments:
Guardsman looks a bit Harvey series like, with it's crisply ironed trousers, and thinner base, and would fit the 54mm bill.
Cheers Adrian, I should have spotted the dildo-like sculpting of the 'bearskin'! There's some Lone Star DNA there for sure!
H
Thanks Adrian for the suggestion . I've checked but they are not a match. Hugh I've sent you some photos please forward to Adrian.
Cheers Chris
That was the first thing I did! I'm actually posting the Zang 40mm Guardsman on Monday, I'll try to put yours up again in the afternoon, it might jog some memories?
H
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