Identification of some 32mm 'flat' figures (1 Viewer)

[Nathan]

Hey everyone,

I thought this would be an appropriate forum to request any information on some figures I purchased many years ago from an Antique store in New Zealand.

At the time I picked them up for $2.00 a piece.

There is little else to say about them, I believe them to be post war, and American Civil War series of some description.

You can see a slight tinge of blue on one of the riflemen which gives me an indication they may have all been dyed at some stage?

Is there anyone out there who can provide me with more information about these figures? Manufacturers? Price? Etc?

Thank you for your time

Kind Regards,

Nathan

 

[trooper]

Can't help you with maker, but the figures are French of WW1 period pre 1916

 

[Nathan]

Can't help you with maker, but the figures are French of WW1 period pre 1916

Excellent! Thank you for that!

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Nathan, trooper is correct about the subject, and I'll add that they are very likely German in origin, and probably recently made, judging from the color of the metal (hardly any patina).

Here is the website of a current maker of flats:

http://www.zinnfigur.com/

That is the online store Berliner Zinnfiguren, whose bricks-and-mortar store was founded by Werner Scholtz in the '30s, and which is run today by his son, Hans-Günther.

Scholtz was a "publisher", as the Germans call it, of flat figures. If I remember correctly, he learned his craft from some of the other great makers, and eventually he produced upwards of 1,000 series of subjects. I think that most, if not all, are still available today.

The store also carries many currently-made figures, and lists the makers. It would be worth it to browse their online shop and see if you see anything similar to your figures, or even to email them the pics and ask if they can recognize them. Often the bases give clues to the manufacturer. Some makers put marks on them, others used no marks, but sculpted the bases using specific shapes, a diamond shape, say, that others did not.

There are many makers of flat figures, mostly German, and production is almost at the level of a cottage industry, sort of similar to fully-round production in the US and the UK, when we look past the big boys like K&C, Frontline or Britain.

Hopefully that helps, prosit!
Brad

 

[Nathan]

Hi, Nathan, trooper is correct about the subject, and I'll add that they are very likely German in origin, and probably recently made, judging from the color of the metal (hardly any patina).

Here is the website of a current maker of flats:

http://www.zinnfigur.com/

That is the online store Berliner Zinnfiguren, whose bricks-and-mortar store was founded by Werner Scholtz in the '30s, and which is run today by his son, Hans-Günther.

Scholtz was a "publisher", as the Germans call it, of flat figures. If I remember correctly, he learned his craft from some of the other great makers, and eventually he produced upwards of 1,000 series of subjects. I think that most, if not all, are still available today.

The store also carries many currently-made figures, and lists the makers. It would be worth it to browse their online shop and see if you see anything similar to your figures, or even to email them the pics and ask if they can recognize them. Often the bases give clues to the manufacturer. Some makers put marks on them, others used no marks, but sculpted the bases using specific shapes, a diamond shape, say, that others did not.

There are many makers of flat figures, mostly German, and production is almost at the level of a cottage industry, sort of similar to fully-round production in the US and the UK, when we look past the big boys like K&C, Frontline or Britain.

Hopefully that helps, prosit!
Brad

Hey Brad,

Thank you so much for that most informative response!! I'll definately do some digging! I have a few of them, so will look for any marks on basing as you suggested.

Thanks a lot!!!

Nathan