This rather nice pair of Hussars were made in Germany circa 1910/20 by Manzsoldaten, one of the minor makers of composition toy soldiers, and one of my all time favourites. I particularly like the style of the horse' heads although the leggy stride of that foreleg is a bit off-putting.
Early Manzsoldaten figures don't carry a makers mark but are characterised by being semi flat, which is unusual for composition figures, and have this distinctive oval base. Earlier German composition figures from this period tended to be quite large, typically 10cm, before settling down to 6.5cm and 7cm in the 1920s and 30s but these are unusual in that the riders are roughly 54mm, not looking bad for a pair of centenarians.
Amazing figures for their age Brian! The condition is awesome and they have a rather elegant feel, compared to the more common, bulky composition figures.
ReplyDeleteThey do have a jaunty look to them, wish I could find some more!
DeleteOh these are very nice, very elegant, and in 54mm scale too. I'm slightly reminded of the more common English-made hussars of the 1930-50 period, possibly Johillco, that are also slightly flat.
ReplyDeleteMichael
They do look a bit dainty, I'm surprised they've lasted in one piece for so long.
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