In 1974 I got hold of Military Modelling magazine's first Annual .
It had a couple of brilliant sections on Samurai.
This first article went into just how to make successful Samurai models.
The colour pictures were excellent.
My favourite article was Night Attack By Ronin by Stephen Turnbull.
It detailed how to create an exciting diorama of a Japanese house being attacked by Ronin or masterless Samurai.
Gruesomely, it included a Samurai decapitation!
The detail is just stunning. Look at the warrior flying through the paper wall!
The two main figures are very striking, one holding the long Naginata spear and one kneeling with an early Japanese flintlock.
I always wanted to make this diorama - it mesmerised me - but a lack of natural ability meant that I never trusted myself to make a go of it.
However, friend and fellow collector Paul Vreede had no such hesitation and way back when created this simply beautiful Samurai diorama even more action-packed than the above!
As Paul explained to me:
"I found one black and white pic in the folder of drawings and photos that got me onto an Art Foundation course. Built out of card, paper and balsa wood, with washing powder for snow (it smelled very fresh as a result!) No internet in those days, so no quickly finding out what Kira's mansion actually looked like. And it seems I forgot that Ronin probably wouldn't shave their heads anymore like samurai did. But what the heck. :) Thanks for reminding me of all that!"
and thank you for sharing Paul. Superb work! No wonder you got on the course! Skills!
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