ALL72008

The exact origins of the myth of dwarves are, as always, lost to us now, and their characteristics and appearance were not consistent - in some Norse sources they are not even described as short. They are reputed to be skilled in metalwork, and therefore can fashion very decorative and sophisticated armour, but their preferred weapons are the simple but effective axe or hammer, although swords, mattocks and others are also put to use. This particular collection of figures displays all of these weapons, plus some other medieval ones like the mace and pick, which would seem to be in character with such a race. Apart from the helmets there is very little plate armour here (mostly for the arms) - mail is the most common, but there is also some lamellar, and one figure looks like he may wear a jack with studs, suggesting armour plates sewn under the garment. Perhaps the most striking thing to the modern eye is the height of these figures. Most are at least 20 mm tall (1.44 metres), and the last pictured figure, who wears what looks like a crown and so might be a king, is 23.5 mm tall, a perfectly normal height for a human.

The sculpting is very nice as usual, with pleasing detail everywhere. The fulsome beards are a particular feature of course, but all the clothing and armour is nicely done and very varied. The poses are much more credible than the first such set in this range as hardly anyone is holding their weapon over the top of their head, though quite how the first figure in the top row is going to use that pick while holding it like that is quite beyond us. The piper is an interesting choice as bagpipes are found in many cultures, and the figure we have suggested may be a king seems to underline that assumption by standing still and pointing, which is what most 1/72 scale plastic officers do all of the time. However this figure also stands out for having a lot of flash around the seam, at least on our sample, whereas all the other poses are entirely clean.