Persian Immortals

Just a few more pics...

never seen that shield design before!?

lovely work again

wonderful designs on the clothes. I've always avoided collecting the Persian "pajama party" because of the difficulty of doing it right.

Excellent painting best looked at on computer screen to fully appreciate. Particularly like the graining on the spears and the edging detail on the single white tunic figure on right of centre photo, to paint those small white rectangles inside the edging on bottom and going up centre of tunic is so difficult. As Stecal says its so difficult to replicate the same pattern on all of the figures in the unit so that they look uniform.
Like the idea of the 'cat' on one of the standards think there is ref. to this somewhere in Early Arch. Per. history can you remind us of this. Are the shields artistic licence or have you got the pattern from somewhere.
My only consolation is that however pretty they are when you put them on Alans wargames table they should be cannon fodder for my hopolites??

The cat standard idea comes from the Battle of Pelesium 525 BC between Cambyses II and Pharaoh Psametik III. Polyaenus describes the Persian use of Sacred animals being released in front of the Advancing Persians and Cat insignia on the Persian Shields and Standards, since the cat was held most sacred in Eygptian Culture, thus putting fear and reluctance in to the Eygptian army. Perhaps one of the first instance of psychological warfare? It is not detailed in other souces although Herodotus does not really give any details on the actual battle.
The Floral design is taken from middle Eastern Persian art although probably not as old as the Immortals. However the Lotus and Lilly flower which it is based upon is well known both in Ancient Persian and Egyptian culture. Such flowers being in evidence on some of the wall muriels in the Palacees of Persepolis. The flower and garden having a strong presence in Ancient Persia. Paradise being a walled garden with water in Persia.
So again a bit of artistic licence inspired by a russian figure painter and manufacturer, Aleksey, based in St Petersburg who uses the design in some of his Large scale figures.
I agree that the figures on the wargames table may well be cannon fodder as most of my armies!

wow!