Turkish General

A commander of fellahin

One of the regrettable realities of life as a shift worker is that circadian rythmn is something that happens to other people. Strange periods of wakefulness come and go. A certain amount of time is spent staring at the ceiling while Mrs. Kinch snoozes in a demure and ladylike fashion and the cat snores at the foot of bed like a small cement mixed filled with pebbles. 

 

Not the neatest job in the world

It was during one of these periods of wakeness that I knocked this chap together.  My Turkish forces for the Crimea require a mounted general and I thought he would probably do for an Egyptian officer of the 1880s as well. I must confess that this conversion was not prompted by any really careful consideration, but more by the fact that I had left a biscuit tin lid on the bedside table. My basing box was on the lid and I'd forgotten that I'd chucked some figures in the box.  The fez came from a Waterloo 1815 Egyptian infantryman who was waving a clubbed rifle. The figure is from an Italeri Confederate cavalry set.  I think he might be supposed to be Jeb Stuart, but he has defected to the Ottomans now. 

Note the tassel at the rear

I trimmed the fez from the first figure and then sliced off the top of General Stuarts head. A dab of superglue and the conversion such as it is, was done.  I have added a green stuff tassel to the fez and filled a few gaps. 

Not too shabby for half an hours work and all without waking the slumbering Mrs Kinch or the cat. We shall see how it takes paint.