Two years ago I wrote about the Samurai miniatures I had as a kid. I loved those small metal models and still have them, although some parts have broken off over time.
There was another metal model Samurai that I always wanted back then but it was just too expensive. It was made by Taisho and appeared on the cover of Military modelling magazine in 1973.
Further Samurai and Ninja action was to be had in the magazine's first annual in 1974.
It contained a mesmerising article about creating a Ninja attack on a clan Lord's house from scratch. There are Ronin, swords and even a decapitation! My modelling skills were never any good so I didn't have a go but I do still flick through the annual every now and then remembering how much I wanted to.
As soon as I dig it out of the attic I'll post pics of the article.
Did you have any Samurai models readers?
I did, Woodsy.
ReplyDeleteI was very interested in Japan when I was 16-17, esp woodcut prints and samurai. So I built the two sets Tamiya had at the time, one with four figures:
http://www.model-making.eu/products/Samurai-Warriors.html
and one with eight:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401063721966
and then used some more to build a smallish diorama of (a handful of) the 47 ronin attacking a house that I imagined to be within the grounds of Kira's mansion. The colours I used were more based on woodcut print depictions than on reality, but that was fine by me. :)
Best -- Paul
Glad to hear you were a fellow Samurai fan Paul! Those Tamiya kits are superb. You didn't photograph your Ronin diorama did you?
DeleteCould be I did, but if so any surviving pics are in a large box in a stack in my garage somewhere...
ReplyDeleteWhat was also most impressive was one of my best friend's dad's collection. A number of real antique swords (which cut a sheet of paper simply by dropping it on the edge of the blade), a set of armour, several framed woodcut prints and a large collection of beautiful tsubas, one even more exquisite than the next. Story on the latter went that he bid in an auction in NY, expecting to get some leftovers. Instead he was the only interested bidder and got all of them, the -very- lucky man.
Best -- Paul
Brilliant story Paul. I loved tsubas. My closest encounter with them was when I had my Uncle's Katana on loan as a young teenager. He agreed that I could disassemble it for research! I took rubbings of the tsuba, which I may still have somewhere! Can't wait to see a pic of your old diorama!
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