King & Country
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“KING & COUNTRY DISPATCHES”
May 2019 Releases
May 2019 Releases
Hi Guys,
Welcome to yet another diverse and I hope, interesting collection of figures and fighting vehicles that stretch all the way from the sands of Ancient Egypt to the jungles of South East Asia with one or two historical diversions along the way.
So, without further ado, let’s begin our journey into the past with the ‘Land of the Nile’...
1. BEING RELEASED THIS MAY
Whenever most people think of Egypt one particular image usually springs to mind... The Pyramids!
Over 5,000 years ago Egypt became a united nation and for 3,000 of those years it was ruled over by its own kings. During that time there were three distinct periods... the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. Now, see where we’re beginning our story... It was in the ‘Old Kingdom’ that the Egyptians began building huge stone tombs for their rulers called ‘pyramids’.
To these Ancient Egyptians, the three most important things in their lives were their King... the Next World and the River Nile.
Egypt is a very arid country where it rarely rains. The Nile’s water provides life for plants, animals and people.
The royal pyramids, which housed the bodies and possessions of dead rulers were all built on the west bank of the Nile.
To construct these mighty monuments armies of labourers hauled huge blocks of stone to the chosen sites. Once there skilled craftsmen and stonemasons shaped and placed these massive blocks according to the designs and plans of the architects and surveyors.
Painters, metalworkers, carpenters and sculptors then added their skills and handiwork to complete the gigantic structures.
This is the initial theme of these welcome additions to one of King & Country’s most original series of figures.
A. ON THE BANKS OF THE NILE...
AE064 “The Stone Sled Team”
Although animals were also used to help drag huge blocks of stone to and around the pyramid’s building site most of the ‘heavy-hauling’ was undertaken by manual labour.
Here a team of six labourers haul a wooden sled on which a large block of stone has been tied down to.
If on level ground or sand, wooden logs could be placed under the sled to ease the passage of the load. On ramps however, built at an angle leading up to the various levels of the pyramid, brute strength was still the best, if hardest, method used. Six figures... one wooden sled... and one very large block of stone!
AE067 “The Mud Mixers”
Two labourers toil away mixing ‘Mud Bricks’. These were a compound of Nile mud, clay, sand mixed in with straw and even a little animal dung! This was all mixed together with water to form a malleable mass which was than pressed into wooden molds to make the individual ‘bricks’.
As one labourer pours in some sand the other stirs up the mixture.
2-figures and the mixing trough.
AE069 “The Overseer”
Watching over and instructing the various labouring tasks would be an ‘overseer’ or ‘foreman’ such as this figure. While many of the workers under his control were either slaves or foreign-born labourers most of the ‘Overseers’ were Egyptian although some had ‘risen from the laboring ranks’.
AE070 “The Stonemasons”
Skilled stonemasons could be Egyptian but might also be talented slaves or foreign workers.
Because of their skills and talents they received better provisions and much improved living quarters compared to the largely unskilled heavy labourers. A 3-figure set.
AE073 “The Nubian Water Carrier”
Working under the blazing Egyptian sun from early morning until last light demanded copious amounts of water for ALL the workers constructing the Pyramid.
Teams of girls and young women, many of Nubian origin, brought fresh water to the workers throughout the working day.
After work had ceased they were kept in their own separate camp compounds to ensure their own safety as well as the likelihood that they might ‘tire-out’ the workforce with extra curricular evening activities!
AE075 “Scaffolding Platforms”
All over the building site you would see large and small wooden scaffolding complete with platforms where the expert craftsmen... sculptors, painters and other decorators would work away high above the heavy labourers.
AE077 “Standing Guard”
Although most ‘overseers’ and ‘foremen’ carried protective weaponry a strong force of the King’s soldiers would also be on hand to provide a kind of ‘military police’ presence on the work site.
These professional soldiers would also protect the prized possessions which would be gathered at the Pyramid site ready to be interred along with the dead king when the project was finally completed.
AVAILABLE: Mid May
SPECIAL NOTE: This is just the beginning... there are already many more ‘Building The Pyramid’ releases scheduled for release in the coming months and into 2020!
