Rarely Seen Courtenay/Ping Collection (1 Viewer)

[ucla1967]

In the toy soldier collector world, the figures produced by England's Richard Courtenay are highly collectable, rare, and very expensive to aquire with single figures selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Courtenay produced highly animated, expertly painted knights from the Hundred Years War. In addition, he also produced ancient warriors and historical personalities. All in all, he made about 150 figures before he passed away in 1963. Miniarturist Freddy Ping acquired his molds and continued to produce his versions of Couttenay's figures until his death in 1977. The following year, Peter Greenhill took over the molds and continued to produce the figures. So, the figures are known as Courtenays, Courtenay/Pings, and Courtenay/Greenhills.

Bob Walker has a collection of about 170 Pings. I am attaching photos of some of these rarely seen historical personalities in his collection.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are five more photos.

 

[ucla1967]

More photos. Actually, I am not sure if the figures are matte rather than glossy, so I may have opened this thread in the wrong section.

 

[ucla1967]

More Pings from Bob's collection.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are the last three photos I took; there are more that I didn't photograph.

 

[blaster]

Mike,

I just saw this thread. A truly fascinating collection of figures from a master modeler.


Thanks for these pics.

Rgds victor

 

[ucla1967]

Mike,

I just saw this thread. A truly fascinating collection of figures from a master modeler.


Thanks for these pics.

Rgds victor

Thanks Victor. I wonder if Bob might not have one of the largest Ping collections in the world; I only know several collectors who have just a few in their respective collections. At about $150 each, they are way too expensive for my blood. Bob had them displayed in chronological order which I didn't pick up on until after the fact; I should have photographed them that way instead of at random.

 

[Gideon]

The Pings are really fun figures. I've had quite a few pass through over the years. I did keep one. A rare one - a hens teeth type rarity.

It depicts an anatomically correct village peasant whizzing. Try finding that one...

 

[blaster]

Hi Mike,

He could well have one of the largest Ping collections. I only ever saw some of these figures in the (tin) many years ago in a little shop in Piccadilly.

I wonder if perhaps the photos seen here show them a little distended? What little of the Pings that I see in some of my old books seems to suggest a slimmer build. Anyway, an absolutely fascinating collection. their charm is in their evocation of an earlier period of the toy soldier hobby.

Rgds Victor

 

[Dragoon]

I can't be sure, but sadly it looks like a number of these figures are suffering from lead rot. - Extremely dull paint with paint loss (not do to chipping) and a whitish powdery coating on parts of the figure. There is even powdery residue at the base of figures that are showing a lot of surface distress. It's really too bad when this happens to some of these great older figures.

 

[ucla1967]

The Pings are really fun figures. I've had quite a few pass through over the years. I did keep one. A rare one - a hens teeth type rarity.

It depicts an anatomically correct village peasant whizzing. Try finding that one...

Bob doesn't have that one in his collection; I am sure I would have noticed it if he did. I'll ask him when I see him again.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,

He could well have one of the largest Ping collections. I only ever saw some of these figures in the (tin) many years ago in a little shop in Piccadilly.

I wonder if perhaps the photos seen here show them a little distended? What little of the Pings that I see in some of my old books seems to suggest a slimmer build. Anyway, an absolutely fascinating collection. their charm is in their evocation of an earlier period of the toy soldier hobby.

Rgds Victor

Victor,

I shot the photos with my digital camera and they appeared to me in person as they do in the photos I posted. They kind of remind me of Vertunni figures which may be less distended. I posted photos of his Vertunnis on the Bob Walker 5th Annual Open House thread under dioramas. They are not my collecting cup of tea, but are fascinating just the same.

 

[ucla1967]

I can't be sure, but sadly it looks like a number of these figures are suffering from lead rot. - Extremely dull paint with paint loss (not do to chipping) and a whitish powdery coating on parts of the figure. There is even powdery residue at the base of figures that are showing a lot of surface distress. It's really too bad when this happens to some of these great older figures.

Yes, I noticed that, too. He very recently acquired many of these figures, so I am not sure if he intends to leave them as they are or will attempt to stabilize the lead rot that some of them suffer from.

 

[Gideon]

Bob doesn't have that one in his collection; I am sure I would have noticed it if he did. I'll ask him when I see him again.

very likely he doesn't. there was a nice series of villagers made by ping for a short while. when i find the figure, i'll post photos.

 

[ucla1967]

very likely he doesn't. there was a nice series of villagers made by ping for a short while. when i find the figure, i'll post photos.

If you have any other Pings I'd love to see them, too. Thanks.

 

[blaster]

Hi Mike,

taken from a book by John Garratt's Model Soldiers for the Connoisseur, just sharing with all the pages devoted to Ping.

Rgds Victor

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,

taken from a book by John Garratt's Model Soldiers for the Connoisseur, just sharing with all the pages devoted to Ping.

Rgds Victor

Hi Victor,

Thank you so much for providing this information on Frederick Ping. Although Bob has Courtenay/Ping knights in his collection (which I did not photgraph), clearly the figures I did post photos of are the ones in Garratt's book. These are Ping's that he made separate and a part from Courtenay's molds. Did you notice that there at least six different versions of Richard III in Bob's collection?

Best regards,

 

[Gideon]

If you have any other Pings I'd love to see them, too. Thanks.

I don't have any others. My father has a small collection of them and Courtenays. When start going through his collections, I'll post some photos.

 

[ucla1967]

I don't have any others. My father has a small collection of them and Courtenays. When start going through his collections, I'll post some photos.

Thanks Gideon.