Turkish and Ottoman Lead Soldier Collection

TURKISH & OTTOMAN LEAD SOLDIER FIGURES COLLECTION

The “Lead Soldier” Collection, dedicated exclusively to Turkish and Ottoman military figures, brings together over 4,700 pieces, produced by 102 different brands across 23 countries, including Turkey. As it focuses solely on soldiers of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire, the collection is considered unique in its single theme. Some figures date back to the early 20th century and are regarded as valuable antiques.

Highly esteemed in international art and collectors’ circles, lead soldiers were first produced as toy soldiers in the late 19th century. Their production, however, almost came to a standstill during the First and Second World Wars. In the following decades, they appeared mainly as plastic toys, but from the second half of the 20th century onward, traditional lead soldier craftsmanship was revived. With the adoption of more refined casting and painting techniques, they gradually gained recognition—not merely as toys, but as objects of art and collection. Over time, they came to be crafted with greater mastery and care, displayed in special exhibitions and dedicated museums, and began commanding high values at international auctions.

This collection brings together rare examples preserved by producers and dealers worldwide, pieces inherited from past generations of craftsmen and re-cast from original molds upon request, as well as limited-edition figures produced in recent years. Gathered both individually and in series, these works form a prestigious and culturally significant collection that reflects the enduring legacy of Turkish and Ottoman military history through the art of the lead soldier.

WHAT IS LEAD SOLDIER?

What Are Military Miniatures?

Toy soldiers date back to antiquity with samples found in tombs and archeological excavations dating back to Egyptian and Roman times. Royal offspring from Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) to Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941) had toy soldiers to play with.

Toy Soldiers

Collecting considerable numbers of these miniature warrior replicas on a large scale has been a twentieth and twenty-first century phenomena. Personalities as diverse as Prime Minister Winston Churchill, publisher Malcolm Forbes, and film star Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. had very large and famous collections of toy soldiers.

The times before, during, and after World War II were watershed periods for youngsters collecting and playing with toy soldiers. After World War II, a division in the toy soldier field materialized: model figures.

Toy soldiers were usually hardy and rugged little figures most often made of metal, strong and colorful gloss paint, and intended for sandboxes as well as display shelves. While the elegant 54mm figures made by the English, German, and French companies were highly prized by American youngsters, the favorite American toy soldiers were 80mm robust warriors called “Dimestore figures.” These playroom denizens were the precursors of the action figures of later generations.

As toy soldiers proliferated in sizes and shapes, the manufacturing materials were amended to include a wood and glue substance called composition, and eventually plastic. And while composition and plastic as well as metal were fine for the toy box, the emerging model figures were too delicate and expensive to be played with. They were figures for display, invariably made of metal.

Model Figures

Despite its many definitions, and most especially the desire by many however unworthy suppliers to have their particular brands referred to as model figures, the term ‘model figures’ should be reserved for the very best figures crafted for connoisseur collectors.

Model figures start with quality sculpting, topped off with careful hand painting. Not merely a paint line for a mouth and dots for eyes, model figures have skin tone, a realistic face and are proportioned commensurate with the size of the figure – most often 54mm, but also 90mm or 120mm. Model figure collecting has been clearly the realm of the adult collector and not intended for children.

Model figures very often represent historical characters: Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, George Washington, to name a few. Model figures also are created to display a famous regiment or historically interesting group. The possibilities are endless, and only the quality of the figure determines whether it is a mass-produced toy soldier or a skillfully rendered model figure extant with limited availability.

It is very interesting to note that the collectors of both toy soldiers and model figures are adamantly enthusiastic in their regard for their chosen side of the collecting division: toy or model miniatures. The collecting of toy soldiers has endured for centuries with many figures in today’s collector cases that are in their second century – the true test of time for a collectible.
Source: aeroartinc.com

THE LEAD SOLDIER FIGURES ARE GENERALLY CLASSIFIED AS THE FOLLOWING TYPES

1. LEAD SOLDIER TYPES
CONVENTIONAL 54 MM FIGURES
2. HOLLOW LEAD SOLDIER TYPES
3. SEMI ROUND LEAD SOLDIER TYPES
4. TIN FIGURE / ZINNFIGUREN TYPES
GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ORIGINATED 2 DIMENSIONAL FIGURES
5. WAR GAME SOLDIER TYPES
GREAT BRITAIN MADE VERY SMALL FIGURES
6. MINIATURE SOLDIER TYPES
FIGURES MOT 54 MM
7. SILVER SOLDIER TYPES
8. LEAD CIVILIAN FIGURE TYPES
9. TIN CIVILIAN FIGURE TYPES
10. RESIN SOLDIER TYPES
11. FIGURES FROM NATURE TYPES
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THE LEAD SOLDIER FIGURES IN THIS COLLECTION ARE CATEGORIZED AS FOLLOWS:

A. VERY LIMITED EDITION FIGURE CATEGORY - MADE IN TURKEY
B .LIMITED EDITION FIGUR CATEGORY - MADE IN TURKEY
C. VERY LIMITED EDITION SILVER FIGURE CATEGORY – MADE IN TURKEY
D. FIGURES MADE IN NON-TURKISH COUNTRIES CATEGORY
E. FIGURES MADE IN RUSSIA CATEGORY
F. GERMAN/AUSTRIAN MADE TIN SOLDIER (ZINNFIGUREN) CATEGORY
G. WAR GAME FIGURE CATEGORY

Each figure in the collection is individually hand casted and painted.

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