Question about Sherden Guard

[JollyBob]

Bob's back with another daft question.

I've been looking at the Sherden Guard miniatures from North Star's Kadesh range, and trying to work out whether the horns on their natty helmets are cast bronze or actual horn (or boar tusks, maybe?).

I've seen painted figures with both, and there seems to be no consensus with illustrations either. Is this one of those "nobody knows, do whatever you think looks best" questions or is there some definitive academic text locked away somewhere that explains it all?

[ithoriel]

I think it is safe to say we don't know for sure.

That said, once upon a time I had an image of a Sherden from a wall frieze in Luxor which showed the helmet, including horns and the ball and post decoration on top as a shade of yellow, which I took to indicate that the whole thing was bronze.

Of course, now I want it, I can't find the blasted thing. I'm guessing that it's on the dead machine in the corner of the room here.

So possibly not much help, except to say that whatever you choose it's unlikely anyone can prove you definitively wrong!

[SJWi]

My Osprey on "The Sea Peoples" seems to assume a bronze helmet with bone or ivory horns. It contains one colour photo of a relief at Medinet Habu and says the helmet is painted yellow/bronze with the horns a contrasting light blue indicating a different material. That said there is one other illustration showing helmet and horns all the same colour. Maybe a Greek-style "boars tusk" helmet?

Hope this helps your thinking if not 100% clarification!

[JollyBob]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I think purely aesthetically the bone/ivory would look better, and since nobody can prove otherwise I'll probably go with that.

Looking at the figures, it's really only the helmet that sets them apart from other units, so it would have been nice if we knew what it actually looked like!

[Westfalia Chris]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I think purely aesthetically the bone/ivory would look better, and since nobody can prove otherwise I'll probably go with that.

Looking at the figures, it's really only the helmet that sets them apart from other units, so it would have been nice if we knew what it actually looked like!

If the sculpt features a visible distinction from the helmet proper to the horns, I would go for a spot of contrast just to add visual interest, too.

Furthermore, I would hazard the guess that attaching real horns as a separate piece might have been easier and cheaper than furnishing it out from the actual metal calotte, or making complex-shaped add-on metal pieces, from a manufacturing point of view (although it could be counter-productive considering protection in creating a "blade-trap").

[area23]

Assuming it's true the Sherden were either native to or subsequently colonised Sardinia, there is evidence sardinians traded with Etruscans and even Scandinavians from the Amber Route. While dated much later of course, at least 500 years, there are archeological findings of helmets with bronze horns. So it could be possible the earlier Sherden had bronze horns on their helmets. I would guess only nobles had them though.

But Sherden Guards had different equipment. I suppose supplied by the farao. My guess is their helmets were ritual headgear, manufactured to represent them according to egyptian iconography.

That doesn't get us anywhere though because we have no proof whatsoever. 

[Easy E]

No one knows, so you get to do what you think looks best! 

The beauty of Ancients is that there is a lot of room to do what you think is cool.

[vodkafan]

As it is decoration, wouldn't it also be feasible that the horns were made of wood to just resemble horns? That would explain them being painted blue or some other colour.

[ithoriel]

It's not impossible that wooden horns might be used but given the amount of cattle horn available I'm not sure why one would bother.

As seen below, polished horn can have a blueish cast.

[vodkafan]

Ah ithoriel OK noted. That makes sense. I guess it would have been a common resource at the time.