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Lipan Apache from La
Meridiana sculpted by Carles Vaquero
Submitted by Al LaFleche
Gallery
The
Lipan were the easternmost branch of the Apache nation,
having settled in Texas. The etimology of their name is
somewhat clouded, with several on-line references giving
different interpretations. They came into conflict for
many years with the Commanche, as well as the Mexicans
and American settler of their homeland. From what I can
gather, there were few, if any, significant differences
among the Apache as far as dress goes. Osprey’s book on
the Apache does not identify any specific clothing or
head dress with any of the bands. As a result, this
figure could represent any of the bands of Apache in the
late 19th century.
La
Meridiana’s bust depicts an Apache man with a somewhat
craggy face, befitting one who spent a lot of time in
the harsh southwestern sun. He wears a trade shirt and
vest and carries a cartridge belt bandolier style. This
clothing allows the painter to be creative. Many images
of the Apache show them wearing colorfully patterned
shirts. On his head is a depiction of a typical buckskin
bonnet adorned with conches and beading. The Osprey book
notes both eagle and owl feathers were used to adorn
these hats.
The
kit is packed in the new style box which closes very
firmly. It consists of the bust and in a separate bag 3
individual feathers, 2 double feathers and a grouping of
4 feathers. This last one is clearly keyed to the bonnet
locator holes. The rest are not so easily located. The
box has one color photo of the bust, leaving much to be
desired in helping to locate the feathers. There is a
photo on their website that does help some. I’ve
included that with this review to help the builder.
Unlike a few of the earlier busts from this company,
there is no wooden base included. Since I thought those
were undersized for the busts, I don’t find this a
problem. There is an instruction/history included, but
it is only printed in Italian.
The
bust is cast in an unusual off white resin but has no
seams or major air bubbles that I could find. Some of
the bullet tips in the bandolier may be problematic,
however. Once primed, it should be easier to determine
if corrections will be required. The bonnet’s beaded
decorations and well cast making painting easier. The
only casting issue is that one of the single feathers
has an air hole partway through it. This should be
fixable with a bit of filler.
All
told, this is an excellent bust at a reasonable price.
$44.99 available from
Military Miniatures Warehouse
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