The wonderful thing about our North Star 1672 range is that the figures will do for many different nations armies in the period 1665-1680. This is
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
because it is a time just before uniforms, and the figures are all dressed in the fashions common amongst soldiers throughout Western Europe.
This of course includes Britain.
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
The years covered by our range is called the Restoration Period in
Britain as it was the time the monarchy, represented by Charles II,
was restored after the English Civil War.
It was also the genesis of the British Army. Britain, tired of soldiers
and war, had disbanded much of it’s forces after the Civil War and
Oliver Cromwell’s reign. With the return of Charles II to England in
1660, the units still under arms swore allegiance to the King and
became the senior units of the British Army.
Some of the infantry regiments:
Coldstream Guards
Grenadier Guards
Scots Guards
1st Regiment (Royal Scots)
2nd Regiment (The Queen’s)
3rd Regiment (The Buffs)
st
Colour.
NSA1005 - Matabele Warriors in full Regalia
Instead, this informant stated, the "induna" or regimental
commander distributed the hides from which the shields were
made, allowing the bravest warriors first choice, "until the
cowards had to take what was left". As among the Zulus, the
"most honourable" colour was white, usually with a few dark
markings, so presumably the favoured men took these, leaving
the predominantly black or brown hides for the others.
According to the same informant units in training had black
shields, replaced by coloured ones when their education was
completed. If this was the case each regiment would present a
mixture of different colours, perhaps with the palest shields in
the front rank.
A quick survey of contemporary pictures produces
contradictory evidence. A watercolour by Charles Bell, dated
1835, shows a group of warriors wearing similar headdresses,
which suggests that they belonged to the same regiment, but
of the two shields seen faceon, one is white and the other a
solid dark colour. In 1877 A. A. Anderson painted what he
called "a rough but a correct sketch" of the annual "Inxwala"
dance at Bulawayo, at which Lobengula inspected his troops.
The warriors drawn up for review form three distinct units
distinguished by the colour of the shields visible in the front
rank. Of the one on the right Anderson wrote, "The black
shields form one regiment and is his (ie. Lobengula's)
bodyguard". This is the opposite of what we would expect, but
this role was often entrusted to a young regiment in training.
An oil painting, "The Battle of Mbembesi" by J. P.
Macdougall, shows what is probably the "Imbizo" or "Ingubo"
regiment engaging in a firefight with a South Africa Company
laager; Macdougall was at the battle, so this is presumably a
fairly accurate representation. Most of the Matabele are firing
rifles and so have discarded their shields, but two shields are
visible in close-up in the foreground. One is white with dark
blotches, and the other is black. White with black spots is
thought to have been the colour associated with the "Imbizo"
regiment, but other elite units like Insuga seem to have carried
mainly black shields.
Shield patterns
As any fan of the Zulus knows, the subject of shield patterns
is a complicated and fascinating one; their famous Nguni
cattle come in a staggering variety of colour schemes, each
commander distributed the hides from which the shields were
made, allowing the bravest warriors first choice, "until the
cowards had to take what was left". As among the Zulus, the
"most honourable" colour was white, usually with a few dark
markings, so presumably the favoured men took these, leaving
the predominantly black or brown hides for the others.
According to the same informant units in training had black
shields, replaced by coloured ones when their education was
completed. If this was the case each regiment would present a
mixture of different colours, perhaps with the palest shields in
the front rank.
A quick survey of contemporary pictures produces
contradictory evidence. A watercolour by Charles Bell, dated
1835, shows a group of warriors wearing similar headdresses,
which suggests that they belonged to the same regiment, but
of the two shields seen faceon, one is white and the other a
solid dark colour. In 1877 A. A. Anderson painted what he
called "a rough but a correct sketch" of the annual "Inxwala"
dance at Bulawayo, at which Lobengula inspected his troops.
The warriors drawn up for review form three distinct units
distinguished by the colour of the shields visible in the front
rank. Of the one on the right Anderson wrote, "The black
shields form one regiment and is his (ie. Lobengula's)
bodyguard". This is the opposite of what we would expect, but
this role was often entrusted to a young regiment in training.
An oil painting, "The Battle of Mbembesi" by J. P.
Macdougall, shows what is probably the "Imbizo" or "Ingubo"
regiment engaging in a firefight with a South Africa Company
laager; Macdougall was at the battle, so this is presumably a
fairly accurate representation. Most of the Matabele are firing
rifles and so have discarded their shields, but two shields are
visible in close-up in the foreground. One is white with dark
blotches, and the other is black. White with black spots is
thought to have been the colour associated with the "Imbizo"
regiment, but other elite units like Insuga seem to have carried
mainly black shields.
Shield patterns
As any fan of the Zulus knows, the subject of shield patterns
is a complicated and fascinating one; their famous Nguni
cattle come in a staggering variety of colour schemes, each
