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Author Topic: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from? Northstar figures.  (Read 1750 times)

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Just started painting these figures and I’m wondering what headdresses are made of. They could be feathers or perhaps fabric or maybe foliage - I don’t know.
Any ideas?
http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4514

Doug
« Last Edit: April 09, 2018, 09:20:36 PM by Doug em4 »

Offline Plynkes

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from?
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2018, 05:37:42 PM »
I would say almost certainly feathers. Grass is a possibility, but it's feathers more often than not with Congo tribes (and in East Africa for that matter). I don't think those figures represent any particular specific historical peoples, so I think it's open to interpretation.

One other option you didn't mention is cow-tails, like the Tutsi and others wear.





Fellow with the mask might have that, but the others look like feathers to me.

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Offline fastolfrus

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from?
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2018, 08:10:31 PM »
If you put "Northstar" in the title maybe Nick might see it and give a definitive answer?
Gary, Glynis, and Alasdair (there are three of us, but we are too mean to have more than one login)

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2018, 09:19:51 PM »
Never thought of cow-tails :) In fact, I know virtually nothing of this era and location having been tempted into it by Congo. So I’m grateful for opinion from the knowledgeable.

I’m particularly interested by the figure on the right, btw.

If you put "Northstar" in the title maybe Nick might see it and give a definitive answer?

Good idea :)

DOug

Offline Plynkes

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Just had a bit of a closer look at the figures (I happen to have that set). I would say an almost 100% chance that it's feathers on the customer at the extreme right. I may be wrong, but that's what it looks like to me. Black rooster feathers and red parrot feathers were very popular in the Congo, and seem to have been the most common, but are by no means the only options.


The one on the extreme left seems to have a kind of crest at the front that is almost definitely made of feathers, but behind that is some long flowing part that looks like either cow or monkey tails maybe.

The fellow brandishing a club over his head again looks absolutely like feathers to my eyes.

Masked one could be depicted as grass, feathers or cow tails, as you see fit. It wouldn't look wrong as any of those, to my mind.






Offline carlos marighela

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Looks like a lead tin alloy or possibly pewter to me. :)
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Offline fastolfrus

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Unless Doug bought the rare and exclusive gentlemen collector's set cast in Sterling Silver.

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Plynkes - thanks for your input; very helpful. I’m not confident of doing a good job painting feathers but here goes....... :D

Doug

Offline Plynkes

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You do see multi-coloured feathers that might be tricky to paint but most of the headdresses from the time seem to be simply plain black or plain red. Not too difficult, really.


Offline SteveBurt

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I find block colour and wash looks pretty good for feathers.

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from? Northstar figures.
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2018, 07:28:42 PM »
Well, I had a go. Distinctly average by LAF standard but I’m quite happy with it.



Doug

Offline Plynkes

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from? Northstar figures.
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2018, 09:16:25 AM »
Looks good to me, Doug. Nice one.  :)


Offline Hu Rhu

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from? Northstar figures.
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2018, 06:36:29 PM »
Very nice indeed.  :-*

Offline Doug ex-em4

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Re: What Do You Reckon These Headdresses are made from? Northstar figures.
« Reply #13 on: April 16, 2018, 09:33:18 AM »
Thank you chaps, you are very generous.... :)

Incidentally Gary, against all expectations, I actually painted those 21 African riflemen I got from you - started off a bit of an African odyssey for me ;)

Doug