New Releases for December 2018 - Conquest of America (1 Viewer)

[jjDesigns]

NEW RELEASES FOR DECEMBER 2018
THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA
THE AZTEC EMPIRE

The Aztec Empire flourished between c. 1345 and 1521 and, at its greatest extent, covered most of northern Mesoamerica. Aztec warriors were able to dominate their neighbouring states and permit rulers such as Motecuhzoma II to impose Aztec ideals and religion across Mexico. Highly accomplished in agriculture and trade, the last of the great Mesoamerican civilizations was also noted for its art and architecture which ranks amongst the finest ever produced on the continent.

The empire continued to expand from 1430 and the Aztec military - bolstered by conscription of all adult males, men supplied from allied and conquered states, and such elite groups as the Eagle and Jaguar warriors - swept aside their rivals. Aztec warriors wore padded cotton armour, carried a wooden or reed shield covered in hide, and wielded weapons such as a super sharp obsidian sword-club (macuahuitl), a spear or dart thrower (atlatl), and bow and arrows. Elite warriors also wore spectacular feathered and animal skin costumes and headdresses to signify their rank. Battles were concentrated in or around major cities and when these fell the victors claimed the whole surrounding territory. Regular tributes were extracted and captives were taken back to Tenochtitlan for ritual sacrifice. In this way the Aztec empire came to cover most of northern Mexico, an area of some 135,000 square kilometres.





AZ-02
THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA,
THE AZTEC EMPIRE,
AZTEC GENERAL WITH NATIONAL STANDARD,
(2pcs)

The banner is the Aztec national standard of Quetzalteopamitl, which was an enormous fan of gold and quetzal feathers.

SPANISH CONQUISTADORS



From the moment of Christopher Columbus' discovery of lands previously unknown to Europe in
1492, the New World captured the imagination of European adventurers. Thousands of men came
to the New World to seek fortune, glory, and land. For two centuries, these men explored the New
World, conquering any native people they came across in the name of the King of Spain (and the
hope of gold). They came to be known as the Conquistadors.

Conquistadors claimed that they were attacking the New World natives in order to spread Christianity and save the natives from ****ation. Many of the conquistadors were, indeed, religious men, but history has shown that the conquistadors were far more interested in gold and loot.



CQ-06
THE CONQUEST OF AMERICA,
SPANISH CONQUISTADORS,
SWORD AND BUCKLER MAN.
(2pcs)



**PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER FOR FURTHER INFORMATION**

 

[mikemiller1955]

great pose on the Conquistador!

 

[jazzeum]

Of the 11 unpainted models of the Conquistadors (including the artillery piece), five have now been released or will soon be. One a month is fine with me. Presumably the artillery piece will be released with the two cannoneers.

 

[mikemiller1955]

John has not released an Aztec with a bow and arrow as a weapon...their bows were 5 feet long, and the arrows were pointed with flint, bone or obsidian, and kept in a quiver...they were very skilled with them...I wonder if he will....I hope he does...

I also especially like the Spaniard Sword and Buckler figure...I hope he will make this a staple release of this style of Conquistador...

 

[Old Bill]

John has not released an Aztec with a bow and arrow as a weapon...their bows were 5 feet long, and the arrows were pointed with flint, bone or obsidian, and kept in a quiver...they were very skilled with them...I wonder if he will....I hope he does...

I also especially like the Spaniard Sword and Buckler figure...I hope he will make this a staple release of this style of Conquistador...

Mike - previewed in the 2018 Chicago Treasure Hunt thread

 

[mikemiller1955]

Bill...

thank you for bringing me up to speed......
that must have slipped by me...

I see at least 2...maybe 3 more bow and arrow sculpts in the background...

I should have known...
thanks again!

 

[mestell]

Also previewed in John's Chicago Treasure hunt were figures of enemies of the Aztecs . . . in other words, indigenous people (in this case the Tlaxcalans) who allied themselves with the Spanish. These were displayed in the Hobby Bunker room and will be available sometime in 2019 . . . .
:smile2: Mike

 

[mikemiller1955]

Also previewed in John's Chicago Treasure hunt were figures of enemies of the Aztecs . . . in other words, indigenous people (in this case the Tlaxcalans) who allied themselves with the Spanish. These were displayed in the Hobby Bunker room and will be available sometime in 2019 . . . .
:smile2: Mike

wow!

I must have pulled a Rip Van Winkle...
I didn't see them either...
thank you!

 

[mestell]

​

The first of the Conquistador allies, and enemies of the Aztecs, the Tlaxcalans.

The Tlaxcalans, or Talaxcaltecs, are an indigenous group of Nahua ethnicity who inhabited the republic of Tlaxcala and present-day Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
Despite early attempts by the Mexica, the Tlaxcalteca were never conquered by the Aztec Triple Alliance. The Aztecs allowed them to maintain their independence so that they could participate in the xochiyaoyatl (flower wars) with them to facilitate human sacrifice
The Tlaxcaltecs served as allies to Hernán Cortés and his fellow Spanish conquistadors, and were instrumental in the invasion of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire, helping the Spanish reach the Valley of Anahuac and providing a key contingent of the invasion force.

A flower war or flowery war (Nahuatl languages: xōchiyāōyōtl, Spanish: guerra florida) was a ritual war fought intermittently between the Aztec Triple Alliance and its enemies from the "mid-1450s to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519.

The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. Most of the people sacrificed were not residents of the Aztec’s major cities, rather they were captured in wars, both wars of conquest and “wars of the flowers”. The Aztec term for wars for captives was Xochiyayoyotl.
The Xochiyayoyotl came about after a long famine, from 1450 to 1454. Crops failed all over the Valley of Mexico due to bad weather. To the Aztecs, it showed the gods were displeased; they needed more blood and human hearts. Montezuma I reigned during the great famine. His brother Tlacaelel was Montezuma’s Snake Woman or first adviser, a general in the Aztec army and of the highest warrior order, the Shorn Ones.
When bad weather continued the famine, Tlacaelel suggested a ritual or ceremonial war to provide captives for sacrifice for the Aztecs and their enemies. The nearby Tlaxcala were the Triple Alliance’s main enemy. They had also experienced the famine. Through human sacrifice, the gods would be assuaged for both sides.
Though there were undoubtedly more reasons for Flower wars, such as further terrorizing the surrounding areas, they began during the great famine. Tenochtitlan reached an agreement with its enemies the Tlaxcala, Cholula and Huejotzingo, to war for captives. Their warriors would be told not to kill enemy warriors, but to capture them. Once each side had enough captives, the battle would end. The captured warriors would then be taken for sacrifice by both sides in the battle.

Thus, from time to time, Aztecs would arrange a Flower war when the need for human captives arose. In essence, these were ceremonial in nature, with all the details arranged beforehand by the leaders involved. Nevertheless, they were still a matter of life and death for the warriors; to be captured meant being sacrificed. While a sacrifice was considered an honorable death, no doubt most warriors would prefer to avoid it.
Whether a Flower war was arranged simply to satisfy religious demands for sacrificial victims, to train young warriors and to ensure social advancement for warriors or if it had underlying purposes of wearing down the enemy and terrorizing neighboring lands is still debated by scholars.
Some scholars maintain that the Flower wars were more like tournaments, with no more political purpose than to satisfy warriors in vying for advancement and provide ritual bloodletting and sacrifices. Other scholars see darker political aspects to these ritual wars: to demonstrate Aztec might, to wear down the enemy through attrition and to allow Aztec leaders to subjugate their own people through fear of losing loved ones.
The Aztecs had never managed to conquer the Tlaxcala. While the Tlaxcala were also Aztecs, they refused to pay tribute to the Triple Alliance. Montezuma might have thought that through the Flower wars, the Triple Alliance would be able to wear down the Tlaxcala and capture more of their warriors than they could afford to lose. If so, the Tlaxcala delivered the final blow: they allied with the Spanish in conquering and defeating the Aztec Empire.

Tlaxcalan figures will be available in 2019.

 

[Combat]

That bearded Aztec figure looks a bit odd to me. He reminds me more of an Ancient Greek in Aztec garb for some reason.

 

[mikemiller1955]

That bearded Aztec figure looks a bit odd to me. He reminds me more of an Ancient Greek in Aztec garb for some reason.

agreed...but I trust John in his research...

 

[kogu]

He must be a very high ranking General who was allowed such an individual hairstyle

 

[mikemiller1955]

View attachment 239756

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View attachment 239759​

The first of the Conquistador allies, and enemies of the Aztecs, the Tlaxcalans.

The Tlaxcalans, or Talaxcaltecs, are an indigenous group of Nahua ethnicity who inhabited the republic of Tlaxcala and present-day Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
Despite early attempts by the Mexica, the Tlaxcalteca were never conquered by the Aztec Triple Alliance. The Aztecs allowed them to maintain their independence so that they could participate in the xochiyaoyatl (flower wars) with them to facilitate human sacrifice
The Tlaxcaltecs served as allies to Hernán Cortés and his fellow Spanish conquistadors, and were instrumental in the invasion of Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire, helping the Spanish reach the Valley of Anahuac and providing a key contingent of the invasion force.

A flower war or flowery war (Nahuatl languages: xōchiyāōyōtl, Spanish: guerra florida) was a ritual war fought intermittently between the Aztec Triple Alliance and its enemies from the "mid-1450s to the arrival of the Spaniards in 1519.

The Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. Most of the people sacrificed were not residents of the Aztec’s major cities, rather they were captured in wars, both wars of conquest and “wars of the flowers”. The Aztec term for wars for captives was Xochiyayoyotl.
The Xochiyayoyotl came about after a long famine, from 1450 to 1454. Crops failed all over the Valley of Mexico due to bad weather. To the Aztecs, it showed the gods were displeased; they needed more blood and human hearts. Montezuma I reigned during the great famine. His brother Tlacaelel was Montezuma’s Snake Woman or first adviser, a general in the Aztec army and of the highest warrior order, the Shorn Ones.
When bad weather continued the famine, Tlacaelel suggested a ritual or ceremonial war to provide captives for sacrifice for the Aztecs and their enemies. The nearby Tlaxcala were the Triple Alliance’s main enemy. They had also experienced the famine. Through human sacrifice, the gods would be assuaged for both sides.
Though there were undoubtedly more reasons for Flower wars, such as further terrorizing the surrounding areas, they began during the great famine. Tenochtitlan reached an agreement with its enemies the Tlaxcala, Cholula and Huejotzingo, to war for captives. Their warriors would be told not to kill enemy warriors, but to capture them. Once each side had enough captives, the battle would end. The captured warriors would then be taken for sacrifice by both sides in the battle.

Thus, from time to time, Aztecs would arrange a Flower war when the need for human captives arose. In essence, these were ceremonial in nature, with all the details arranged beforehand by the leaders involved. Nevertheless, they were still a matter of life and death for the warriors; to be captured meant being sacrificed. While a sacrifice was considered an honorable death, no doubt most warriors would prefer to avoid it.
Whether a Flower war was arranged simply to satisfy religious demands for sacrificial victims, to train young warriors and to ensure social advancement for warriors or if it had underlying purposes of wearing down the enemy and terrorizing neighboring lands is still debated by scholars.
Some scholars maintain that the Flower wars were more like tournaments, with no more political purpose than to satisfy warriors in vying for advancement and provide ritual bloodletting and sacrifices. Other scholars see darker political aspects to these ritual wars: to demonstrate Aztec might, to wear down the enemy through attrition and to allow Aztec leaders to subjugate their own people through fear of losing loved ones.
The Aztecs had never managed to conquer the Tlaxcala. While the Tlaxcala were also Aztecs, they refused to pay tribute to the Triple Alliance. Montezuma might have thought that through the Flower wars, the Triple Alliance would be able to wear down the Tlaxcala and capture more of their warriors than they could afford to lose. If so, the Tlaxcala delivered the final blow: they allied with the Spanish in conquering and defeating the Aztec Empire.

Tlaxcalan figures will be available in 2019.

Mike...thanks for posting this...somehow I completely missed it...

 

[Combat]

agreed...but I trust John in his research...

Perhaps it was his NHL playoff beard.

 

[mikemiller1955]

perhaps...^&grin

I actually spent a little time online trying to research it...

while it was customary to use shell picks to pluck their facial hair...
their were references to Aztecs with beards...also wearing white headbands...
but the sources say these were religious leaders (priests) in the Aztec community...
I didn't see any references to Generals...

I did see a lot of images of ancient artifacts of Aztecs with beards...
so beards did exist...

again...
I consider John's research the gospel...
he really spends a lot of time studying before sculpting...

I will mention it to him next time we talk...
maybe he can clarify it better...

 

[Hatman]

The new Aztec General that John is making is based on a color plate from the Men-at-Arms #239 "Aztec, Mixtec as Zapotec Armies" by Dr. John MD Pohl and illustrated by the Late Angus McBride. It's not a beard, it's black face paint, with two white painted circular symbols on each cheek. it's figure #2 on color plate A. "Mexica General". The Aztecs of Technochtitlan, referred to themselves as the Mexica, pronounced "May-She,Ka". This particular general is called "Cihuacoatl", translated as "Snake Woman" and was usually a favorite brother of the Emperor. His unruly hair style was probably the result of human blood used to spike his hair as it dried. The priests used to do this type of thing too. Kind of reminds me of Annie Potts on Designing Women....But that's another story.......

 

[mikemiller1955]

The new Aztec General that John is making is based on a color plate from the Men-at-Arms #239 "Aztec, Mixtec as Zapotec Armies" by Dr. John MD Pohl and illustrated by the Late Angus McBride. It's not a beard, it's black face paint, with two white painted circular symbols on each cheek. it's figure #2 on color plate A. "Mexica General". The Aztecs of Technochtitlan, referred to themselves as the Mexica, pronounced "May-She,Ka". This particular general is called "Cihuacoatl", translated as "Snake Woman" and was usually a favorite brother of the Emperor. His unruly hair style was probably the result of human blood used to spike his hair as it dried. The priests used to do this type of thing too. Kind of reminds me of Annie Potts on Designing Women....But that's another story.......

thank you...that was informative...I mistook his black face paint for a beard also...

 

[Dragoon]

thank you...that was informative...I mistook his black face paint for a beard also...

I don't know Mike, I don't think you mistook anything. It definately looks like the figure has a beard.

Besides the McBride illustration already mentioned, the only historic image of the human "Snake Woman" ( not the goddess ) that I could find comes from the Florentine Codex. in which it is clearly portrayed as face paint.

 

[Dragoon]

Here also is an illustration of ''Snake Woman'' by Adam Hook from an Osprey Warrior series book.

 

[Dragoon]

And here's the McBride illustration mentioned earlier in this thread.