T is for Two - Wild West From the East

A combination of picasa clearance and follow-up here, with some larger stuff from the former East Germany in the first instance and the former Soviet Union in the second-half.

I believe these are both Lisanto, previously a composition maker, but swallowed-up by the Red's in 1945, they would eventually become a centralised, collective VEB, from whence era comes these two, if they are Lisanto, as there were several similar makers and once they'd been VEB'd who knows who had the tools that Friday!

If they are Lisanto they should be . . .

Numer 033 - Shading eyes

Numer 048 - Stabbing with rope

But even those numbers may be modern collector's numbering?

The weapons are crude, the tomahawk die-cut from a sheet of [I think] polystyrene, but it could be something tougher, a propylene or ethylene polymer? While the rifle is like an inter-war pop-gun or cork-firer, and a pretty standard polyethylene! They are interchangeable, as the figures are a softish PVC, but the one (axe) has stretched its hand, leaving the gun loose, while the other's (rifle) hand is tight for the tomahawk.

I also found this, clearly marked, it's made of polystyrene and you can see damage to the base from being in close proximity to the PVC figures in the past, the escaping thalates from the PVC softening the styrene's chains; I keep such things separate.

I may have a rider somewhere, probably in the two boxes we looked at over a year ago, which are still to be properly sorted - as I think I've said before; Wild West isn't a priority for me.

Above; That marking in full!

Below which are four figures from Chris Smith which were a follow-up to something I've forgotten! Flats of the demi-ronde variety, and Russian - I think - although Chris said they were sourced in Lithuania (or Latvia?).

I love these, I've seen them on the Russian forums and slightly envied them, I used to think they were rubber, but I think they look polyethylene too, and large'ish?

Chris describes them thus - "The black/charcoal one looks like it has been carved in a soft stone similar to some Inuit/Eskimo tourist knickknacks I’ve seen . The red ones look like they are carved from red plasticine." I know what he means I've put a Totem Pole up here exactly as he describes and seen those stylised whales (they're ocean-going mammals Mr President, not countries!) in the same blackish material.