The General

After a seemingly interminable wait, the Pegaso kit of Napoleon in Egypt (54-149) has finally arrived! My first reaction upon seeing this petite little gem was, "What was I thinking?" My second thought was, "Now I know why I never got into Napoleonics!" Seriously though. . . this figure will definitely challenge whatever skills I might have acquired over the last quarter century plus!

The casting consists of 8 (7 + base) VG+ pieces. They casting is actually excellent, but I am compelled to gig it based on the "rough" surface on the breeches and the coat. The days of the silky-smooth finish on castings are apparently behind us, and if one accepts what I received as the "new standard", then the production values of this kit are indeed excellent. In any event, the roughness can be eliminated/sufficiently attenuated with careful scraping, sanding and polishing--no more than 20-30 minutes tops.

Fit is overall excellent. I have some quibbles with the flush-fit engineering of the coattails to the sash, but only because it will require a swipe of filler-- negotiated around the delicate embroidery!--to make the transition seamless. I might undercut the sash and re-engineer the contact surfaces to preclude me from having to do any putty work post-painting.

I will not delve into my usual commentary on the historicity (or lack thereof) of the kit, as I am well out of my league on this one. At first blush, all seems as it should be, but I will be doing some additional research by way of confirmation.

As a final note, packaging is excellent! And for once, the size of the container is sufficient to protect the contents!!

And that wraps-up the review of what is arguably the best 54mm foot-figure of Napoleon in Egypt on the market, if not ever: the other two offerings, by Andrea and Valiant, respectively, don't even come close.

And before I close, the work that inspired this madness. . .

And now for something [not so] completely different: Napoleon in Egypt

Immersing myself in the "historically fantastic" has led me to examine the purely historical possibilities. I am a firm believer in maximizing the efforts expended in establishing a sound knowledge base. . .

I am of course talking about "The Mummy". . . though a rendition of a 15th or 16th c. scion of the house of von Frankenstein is certainly not out of the question! ;-)



But I digress. . . While researching the historical basis for no less than three Mummy projects, I ran across a print executed ca. 1895 by Maurice Orange (1868-1916; Fr. military artist and Orientalist, student of Gérôme and Detaille) titled "Napoleon with the Savants Contemplates the Antiquities of Egypt". The work depicts Napoleon and entourage before an Egyptian temple contemplating a mummy in its coffin.

I do not recall ever seeing a vignette or diorama of this scene done in miniature, and the question is, "WHY?!" As to the historicity of the scene, the composition of M. Orange's work speaks for itself; but, there is good chance that this might have been a fanciful, albeit eminently plausible, "what if". And in this instance, that is good enough for me!

There are two 54mm castings of 'Napoleon in Egypt' commercially available; but more on this when the figure arrives. I first wanted to make sure that the critical "scenery" was acceptable and to this end I ordered Andrea's 54mm kit of "The Egyptian Mummy":

TITLE: "The Egyptian Mummy"
MANUFACTURER: Andrea Miniatures
ITEM #: SG-F40
SCALE: 54mm
MEDIUM: White Metal
# of PIECES: 11 + base (2)
SCULPTOR: F. Martínez
REFERENCES: NONE!

COMMENTS: I will begin this review by reiterating that this kit was not purchased for the ©-dodging, eponymous subject. In fact, the figure itself (comprised of 4 pcs.) is the weakest aspect of the kit--though I will be the first to admit that the face, while not a particularly good likeness, has been handled heavy-handedly in the boxart.

The remaining 9 pieces comprise the scenic/decorative elements of the presentation. All but the seemingly de rigeur cobra and the [empty] canopic chest (2 pcs.) will be used. The casting is excellent, and essentially unmarred despite the minimal packaging.

And then there were 6. . . The coffin is cast in four pieces: the 2 halves (excellent fit and finish), and the heqa scepter and flail as decorative sub-accessories. The final two pieces are the groundwork and the backdrop. Please note that the backdrop is bare stone: there is no engraving, etc. whatsoever to assist in reproducing the elaborate mural seen in the boxart. As the vignette will have an outdoor setting, this is of little concern.

NEXT: The General in miniature. . .