Britains Herald Trojan Figures An Overview Look, we look at one of Britains Herald’s most popular figures. With the help of the book “Herald Civilian Models The Golden Years” by Barney Brown and Peter Cole we are got to look at background of these figures. We will see who made them and why they are not Trojans plus much more.
Britains Trojan Figures An Overview Look History
The Britains Herald Trojans were designed by Norman Sillman. Norman came up with the figures on his own. In the Herald book in an interview he said that he knew Britains wanted them and they did. Norman had also sculpted the native dancers and the Sheriff of Nottingham’s horse.
Britains Trojan Figures An Overview Look The Poses
The figures are not really Trojans but Greek warriors. They were based on Iliad one of Norman Sillman’s favorite books .
- Agamemnon on Horse
- Hector with Spear
- Paris Firing bow
- Achilles holding the shield forward
- Odysseus with sword out and wearing cloak
- Ajax standing with sword wearing a beard
Britains Trojan Figures An Overview Look The Details
The figures are very well made. As the book Civilian Models points out all the the Herald figures were over seen by Roy Selwyn-Smith. He would handle all parts of production of the figures. On the Trojan figures Norman Sillman had them done that Roy did not have to do or could anything. Herald did make some changes to make the figures easier to produce. One of the highlights were the shields. Norman was interested in anicent history. It also help that Norman had designed coins for the Royal Mint.
Britains Trojan Figures An Overview Look Production History
The Trojan figures were first issued in March of 1957. These figures were beautifully painted. In 1962 the paint style was reduce to three colors. The figures were canceled in 1962. Four years later in 1966 the mold was moved to Hong King. The photos in this article are of Hong version.
The figures were copied by many Hong Kong and chinese companies. They were used along side the Marx 60mm Romans being by the various copiers. giant reduce them in size to 20mm and used them in their sets.
These figures are a great addition to your collection.
I red in such book that they were called Trojans to avoid use the word Greeks in case of copyright-license issues.Very funny fact .
Yet the figures are indeed a mix of trojans and greeks poses. So not quite wrong the name and Trojans used about same armors as Greeks but some of the poses depicted in figures appear to be more post Trojan war centuries era .The original sculpted prototype had their head and face far more detailed but Herald simplify the sculptor work to avoid issues while being painting be less complicated.
Any ways nice figures and with the many poses variation and marx mix poses made in HK version i have a large collection then x the 54 mm line .Some poses are very suitable with small variation and adding long spears to made large phalanx formation as well.
The same sculptor Norman Sillman suggest the making of samurai sets that never implemented unfortunately by herald as though of poor profit-sales .
I believe most HK varied poses are derived direct from Giant HO scale sets that are indeed a mix of Marx and Herald poses .yet as i post recently other sets made in HK had even Reamsa poses mix copied with others.
I taking the variation are great addition made in HK to these original set.
Questions…
The Britain roman chariot and roman ,was it part intended to be for same series of trojans designed poses and made to be roman laer or not !?
The horses used were the Trojan set poses by Herald.
Did Britain ever intended to do a roman set!?
Best..
On the Britains Herald Romans prototypes were done but other than the chariot driver nothing was done. there is a photo in Peter’s Cole book on Britains.
I will look at book ,thank you admin.
best
i give quick look at ,i found the never release Zulus poses,the rare western swoppet poses x buildings ,but not in Britain the romans so far…Maybe i skip it as was just going fast…
will see later after work with calm
I may have gotten books confused.
I had a set as a boy and still have them plus extra ones and also some HK copies. I didn’t know they all represented characters from the Iliad. However the figures that really represented that period were made by Atlantic, the ones with larger shields and boar tusk helmets. The herald trojans represent a later greek period of history by a few hundred years.
Agree; i mention it too here .Yet the sculptor most had been based more in films than historical data.Back then few books clearly show the depiction of ancient mycenaean cultures and their armor.Also classical posterior greece literature and art made more later images of iliad creating false images of armor used before.
Hector pose looks more close to it in armor i think.
If look closely many poses and faces,dress and armor are direct extracted from film Helen of Troy 1956
my thoughts
There is a picture of the five Roman prototypes in my PW Roman special
Peter Unfortunately i do not have that any longer .thank you any ways …
best…
Then you should purchase another copy
It’s still available from Paul Morehead
No thanks.I give way as not quite intersting to me…not intersted buying it out again but i know who has a copy to take a quick pick on those romans.
Not big deal.
Thanks any how…
I had these as a child – they were never named – if they had been I would have been even more excited. I never had any enemies to play them with. The man in the toyshop said what about Romans? Oh no said the precocious child – I never mix periods. Move on 50 years and I find the Greek models were perfect for their wars with the Romans – I mean damn 😀