Ideas for 2018 - The Research (1 Viewer)

[Ana Donzino]

Hello,

It's time for me to decide what I am going to make for this year's Delhi Durbar. I have April and End of September as release dates and, as I'm painting all the time , I have my weekends dedicated to research and sculpt.

Here is one of the options I'm considering for elephant option and complementary sets

Sehr & Mukalla (among many other names as Shirh and Mukulla - Shehr and Makalla - Shehr and Mokalla - Sher and Mukallah, and there's even more)

This is an interesting elephant. It was one of the foreign elephants included in the Main Procession. Of Arab origin, they were different from the rest.




The mahout and the sultan are wearing Arab style turbans.


The embroidery is exquisite




The elephant was a bit smaller than Patiala's, at his side. I think it would be a lovely elephant addition to the Delhi Durbar line. But it's not a final decision yet.

 

[Ana Donzino]

The other reason why I like this option is because of the sets that could complement the elephant.

These are the sets that I already made belonging to the state of Sehr & Mokalla




Set 211


Set 212






Set 396

 

[Ana Donzino]

And these are the sets I would make to complete the group


Three wonderful options here: the four camel riders with the cool walking escorts, the two men carrying large flags, and the lovely spear bearers, in front of the camels with the spears decorated and covered.


From this angle you can see the flagbearers (set 396) far, passing in front of the daïs (center of the photo, far away). Then the Camel Riders and the large Flag Carriers, followed by the infantry and the band.

Another lovely group, behind the infantry, with the cavalry at the back



This is what the press said about them

Pioneer Mail 16/01 / The Coronation Durbar:
Sher and Makullah sent Arab and African irregulars, very picturesque figures indeed in their crude colours and head-dresses but little known in Upper India.

A Motley Army:
Nor have readers learned, perchance, of the followers of that Arabian potentate, the Sultan of Shehr and Makalla, tattered cavalry and infantry in scarlet with yellow facings and the hooded headgear of the desert, carrying old muskets, rusty shields, and quaint tomtoms.


1) 46 Arab irregulars

Madras Times 08/01:
The Sultan of Sher and Mokalla sent Arab African Irregulars, who danced past the Viceroy to music to their own instruments.

2) 29 Africans and musicians
Civil & Military Gazette 13/01:
They were black as ink and wore uniforms of dull red and yellow, and they carried long damascus guns and silver powder horns. In front was a green and red silk flag. They danced in time as they went and the musicians blew furiously on tin whistles and wore thick English boots.
3) 28 Spearmen and flag-bearers

Civil & Military Gazette 13/01:
The spear tips were covered in green velvet.

4) 64 Footmen with Arab musicians

Civil & Military Gazette 13/01:
They chanted on kettledrums and brandished knives, dancing.

5) 12 Mounted irregulars

Pioneer Mail 16/01 / The Coronation Durbar:
Sher and Makullah sent Arab and African irregulars, very picturesque figures indeed in their crude colours and head-dresses but little known in Upper India.



Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Look what I found! One of Menpes' plates features the Sehr & Mokalla camel riders! It's named Camels from Mysore, but I don't believe they were. It was difficult for illustrators and photographers to keep track of all the information about the people that they were portraiting, being so much to be captured. In Menpes case he even had to take note about the colors, which was difficult with all the Indian splendor

I believe these camels are the same



What do you think?

 

[johnnybach]

Look what I found! One of Menpes' plates features the Sehr & Mokalla camel riders! It's named Camels from Mysore, but I don't believe they were. It was difficult for illustrators and photographers to keep track of all the information about the people that they were portraiting, being so much to be captured. In Menpes case he even had to take note about the colors, which was difficult with all the Indian splendor

I believe these camels are the same
View attachment 225753
View attachment 225754

What do you think?

Very similar Anna - I think you're right. jb

 

[Ana Donzino]

Thank you, jb

 

[Ana Donzino]

Another option. I'm almost sure that this group will be in this next batch of sets. I've been wanting to make this horsemen for long.

Alwar's Cavalry






Ana

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Ana I have some ideas for you but I am out and about so once I get home I will take sometime and post a few for you.

Dave

 

[Ana Donzino]

Thank you, Dave!

 

[Ana Donzino]

Hi,

I've decided which will be the elephant for April. It's Dewas Senior. I'm posting the photos in the next post, and here goes the history of the State and the maharaja.

Dewas State was a territory within Western India, which was the seat of two Maratha princely states during the British Raj: 'Dewas Junior' - Jivaji Rao ('Dada Saheb') and Dewas Senior - Tukoji Rao ('Baba Saheb').

The Junior branch had an area of 440 sq mi (1,100 km2) and had a population of 54,904 in 1901, while the Senior branch had an area of 446 sq mi (1,160 km2) and a population of in 62,312 in the same year.[3] Both Dewas states were in the Malwa Agency of the Central India Agency. After India's independence in 1947, the Maharajas of Dewas acceded to India, and their states were integrated into Madhya Bharat, which became a state of India in 1950. In 1956, Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh state.

• HH Maharaja Sir TUKOJIRAO III KRISHNAJIRAO PUAR K.C.S.I., 6th Maharaja of Dewas-Senior 1899/1937, born 1st January 1888, he succeeded his uncle to the gadi on 13th October 1899; he was educated privately and at Daly College, Indore and at Mayo College, Ajmer; he was invested with ruling powers on 24th February 1908; he was granted the title of Maharaja as a hereditary distinction in 1918, he was made a K.C.S.I. in 1911, married 1908, HH Maharani Radhabai Akka Sahib of Kolhapur, and had issue. He died 21st December 1937.



He was 15 in 1903.

 

[Ana Donzino]

Photos of the Dewas Senior elephant






It will be a beautiful addition to the Main Procession elephants. Dewas Senior was part of the ninth pair of elephants, with Alwar's on his right side.

Ana

 

[DMNamiot]

Very nice!

 

[Ana Donzino]

Thank you, Dave

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Ana,

You are welcome. As I promised here is a list of some items I think many of your patrons would love to see produced some of these units should be done but haven't been touched yet. Some will seem odd especially when you look at how many companies have done various bits of the 03 Durbar. I know you are very focused on the elephants and I have a suggestion along that line that can wait since the one you have selected is stunning!. But I think you might like some of the possible sets I have focused upon since they are interesting.

The first unit I suggest is the one group of participants that everyone but Marlborough has ignored so far is the Veterans of the Mutiny. There were retired soldiers from many different units of Sepoys and British Infantry. They received a massive standing ovation from the crowd and would be a fun set to model.

I would also love to see a band or two from the Arrival Procession opening the Durbar or from the Military Review which occurred on Thursday January 8th where 39,500 Soldiers turned out for a review by the Viceroy Lord Curzon and HRH the Duke of Connaught. The formation was lead by Lord Kitchener and his staff who were all interesting men who would have amazing careers in the Army. The sets I suggest are one of the massed bands of either the 2rd Infantry Brigade or the 3rd Infantry Brigade. They would be remarkable because of the different uniforms worn by each battalion. They were composed of Battalions from the following units:

2nd Infantry Brigade

The 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders
The 2nd Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
The 27th Baluchis
The 23rd Pioneers.

3rd Infantry Brigade

The 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles
The 1st Battalion 3rd Gurkhas
The 6th Jat Light Infantry
13th Rajputs


The next unit I suggest is a set of mounted State Trumpeters and a Drummer. These were done as dismounted figures by WBritains before minus the drummer but my research clearly shows they were mounted when Major Maxwell read the Royal Proclamation the Trumpeters can be seen mounted behind him on white horses.

The Grand Duke of Hesse and his staff were in a Carriage drawn by teams (4 horses I believe) with a Captains Escort from the 15th Kings Hussars. The Captains Escort was 29 Troopers all ranks and is still afforded to heads of state when they visit the UK and Ireland.

Hope you enjoy these suggestions and I look forward to seeing what you bring out next.

All the best

Dave

 

[Ana Donzino]

Dave - I fully appreciate your suggestions. I took note of everything and will begin my research this next week.

It's so nice when the collectors suggest. I'm always trying to make things that everybody would like but, when I don't get suggestions, I have to decide myself blindly.

Thank you so so much,

Ana