This unique brass figure deserves some discussion ... here we go
THE METAL:
It is brass and has been formed using diecast techniques
The brass alloy is VERY yellow when polished up which tends to indicate a higher level of zinc in the alloy, quite likely to be Beta Brass
POLISHING NOTES:
For some, the patina is "mana" and should be left alone. Sorry but we don't see things like that and enjoy our metalwares clean and bright, as they would have originally appeared or close to this. Sorry but we always kept this piece well polished but not always regularly, why not regularly?
We found this isn't like silver or silver plate wear, no quick rubbing here! This brass needs a LOT of rubbing before it takes on the real "golden look". If left for a few months, the green oxides from the copper in the brass alloy start to show themselves. It seems to be a characteristic of the copper content that when rubbed a lot, it "heats up" in your hands - a warm metal. Other metals remain quite cold when being rubbed.
The brass on this figure has been cleaned and polished FAIRLY well so that it looks nice but not too "new"
All cleaning and polishing has always been done by hand, we have the sore wrists to prove it!
The present state of the figure is that it is 99% cleaned/polished, but at the rear inside the shield remains dull and a tiny bit of green oxide. The underneath of the base also has a tiny couple of green oxide spots.
THE FIGURE - WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
In basic terms this is a man, standing upright, one arm to his side and the other holding a shield to his chest.
He is NOT a soldier in the normal sense of the word, this character is not wearing a stitch of clothing! You can clearly see his butt cheeks and ummm, the front bit (although quite small, perhaps a unic?
The features on the man's face do not allow us to figure out the culture this may be depicting but we SUSPECT it is connected to Ancient Roman times where sexuality was not a taboo subject and far more open than Western (Christian) thinking.
This guy was most likely intended to sit on top of a shelf or in a display cabinet, it is not large but HEAVY for it's size. Somewhere prominent, perhaps he symbolises a sexual sentry (I am just firing arrows wildly into the dark here) There is definitely something sexual about the figure and the shield (being so prominent) seems to be part of the symbolism.
The butt cheeks also suggest more sexuality, being a bit more prominent than the rest of his body - always felt a little uncomfortable watching the ex wife rubbing wildly that part of the statue! It is now much shinier than the rest of him.
We picked this brass figure up in a second hand store in England way back in the 1960's - all very green and unattractive looking but he cleans up pretty well don't you think?
We have never been able to find any markings, stamping at all on this piece. The base has nothing also (that we can find)
The art and craftsmanship of this piece is interesting. While diecast, it does have quite a bit of small detail in the metal work. The outer sides of his legs were "cleaned up for burrs" at the time of manufacturing with a fine metal file. Some other burr removals have been done around the head. Diecast moulding can be quite imperfect, this piece was definitely not made by a machine!
The shield design means nothing to us, it has a central shape (sort of like a Canadian maple leaf) and radiating out are decorative "spokes" which go all the way to the outer rim of the shield. No letters, no graphics that make any sense to us.
Height: 4.5 Inches (110mm)
Weight: 100g (for such a small figure, the weight surprises us - we compared it to our Sterling Silver and there isn't a lot of difference for a similar sized item)
COSMETIC CONDITION:
This brass alloy figure has been sitting in our display cabinet and at times on my ex wife's office desk and always been cared for. There is no damage to the metalwork (it is actually VERY strong and not a soft metal)
No damage to the brass finish from previous oxidisation (back in the 1960's)
Base is straight and true, put this figure on a flat surface and it stays upright and does not tilt or fall over
Now that we have said our goodbye's to this fine fellow, he is now sealed in clear plastic to slow down the oxidisation process - waiting for a new home!
