Gentle Friends,
I have a question concering Britains set #147 - Zulus, African Warriors. I own three of these sets - one set resides in the original box, tied in place with the original string and with the original price written on the box ($1.95.) The original boxes for my other two sets have long since disappeared.
According to Opie (The Great Book of Britains, page 106, 1993):
"The set comprised eight figures all in the same basic position of a running warrior, but with three different movable arms - two men with a spear stabbing overarm, two men with a spear held underarm, and four men holding knobkerries. The loin cloths were painted in three different colour schemes of red, blue, and yellow, so that no figure in the set was exactly the same. The figures had an oval base and was dated 23.5.1906, although it was coverted to a square base shortly afterwards....The Zulu set continued in production until 1941, and was reissued in 1946."
My question concerns the skin color of the figures. I find no mention of any variation of skin color in either Opie's book or in O'Brien's book (Collecting Foreign Made Toy Soldiers.) Both books contain pictures of the set. The pictures display figures with brown skin. While I have two sets of these figures (1 boxed and 1 unboxed) with brown skin, my third set is composed of figures with the skin painted a dark, glossy black. I can say with certainty that the black skinned set has not been repainted as I purchased it new many, many years ago. Does anyone have any information which might help me solve the mystery of the black skinned figures? Is it particularly rare or is it so common that Opie and O'Brien simply neglected to mention any color variation? Any additional information regarding this set will be greatly appreciated.
Warmest personal regards,
Pat
I have a question concering Britains set #147 - Zulus, African Warriors. I own three of these sets - one set resides in the original box, tied in place with the original string and with the original price written on the box ($1.95.) The original boxes for my other two sets have long since disappeared.
According to Opie (The Great Book of Britains, page 106, 1993):
"The set comprised eight figures all in the same basic position of a running warrior, but with three different movable arms - two men with a spear stabbing overarm, two men with a spear held underarm, and four men holding knobkerries. The loin cloths were painted in three different colour schemes of red, blue, and yellow, so that no figure in the set was exactly the same. The figures had an oval base and was dated 23.5.1906, although it was coverted to a square base shortly afterwards....The Zulu set continued in production until 1941, and was reissued in 1946."
My question concerns the skin color of the figures. I find no mention of any variation of skin color in either Opie's book or in O'Brien's book (Collecting Foreign Made Toy Soldiers.) Both books contain pictures of the set. The pictures display figures with brown skin. While I have two sets of these figures (1 boxed and 1 unboxed) with brown skin, my third set is composed of figures with the skin painted a dark, glossy black. I can say with certainty that the black skinned set has not been repainted as I purchased it new many, many years ago. Does anyone have any information which might help me solve the mystery of the black skinned figures? Is it particularly rare or is it so common that Opie and O'Brien simply neglected to mention any color variation? Any additional information regarding this set will be greatly appreciated.
Warmest personal regards,
Pat
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