Hi,
I know I have other two projects in progress, but I really wanted to start this interesting subject and right know I have big enthusiasm for sculpting with the Beesputty (those projects will keep me busy for a time I hope ), so...
I live in the town of Kazanlak, in central Bulgaria, in the valley of the Thracian kings, so I wanted to sculpt (and eventually paint) something from our local history and I'm really interested in the Thracian culture and warfare, which is obscured in some mystery.
Thracians are famous not only with their peltasts, but their cavalry. Thracian cavalry was numerous and reknown for its combat power so that Philip of Macedon adopted their wedge formation for the Macedonian cavalry. They were widely sought as mercenaries and auxilaries, like the Hellenistic armies and Rome.

This will be a Thracian nobleman with Rhomphaia, the dreaded thracian weapon. He will wear the recognizable Thracian helmet (also known as Phrygian), cuirass and greaves, and cloak. Also the "Sica"-a type of short sword or dagger, is considered their national weapon.
The difference between rhomphaia and the falx is that the former is longer and straight or slightly curved compared to the latter.

Starting with the base anatomy and pose, the rhomphaia I made from copper wire and additionally will sculpt the handle. The head I will make sparately.







Regards!
Venko

This is already looking promising at this very very early stage. Good luck with him.

Thank you!

It looks raw now, but I have to visit the local museum to take a look at the armor and weaponry, there are several very nicely restored pieces of Thracian armor here

Have a nice day!

Some progress here, the cuirass is not baked yet, I have to smooth it out a bit more and add the ornaments. The feet will be covered with leather shoes

More work on the cuirass-the decorations. As reference I used the very nice armor from our local museum. There are some kind of serpents or dragons carved on the chest piece

Excellent progress.

Coming on nicely

... great to see going back to original source material

Thanks!

Proceeding with the leather shoes and the greaves with their decorations-probably the hardest work for now.
Again, I used the very nice pair of greaves of the Odryssian king Seuthes III from our museum for reference . There is a decorated woman's face on each of them, most probably of the thracian goddess of hunt Bendida. I also did the rings for the tie downs of the armor.
Now I can proceed with the head and the hands

Great work: the sculpting of the Bendina masks on the greaves is superb

Thanks Neil!

Here is a closer look:

Brilliant work on those greaves, this is turning into a superb project.

Thank you!

Proceeding with the head, most of it will be covered by the helmet, so I didn't sculpt the hair yet.







Cheers!

Excellent work Venko

Thank you, Jed!

Thanks Nap, I'm glad you like it!

It will be commercial if there is enough interest, of course first to finish it

The option of two heads will be nice, I will consider it.

Regards!

I made a resin copy of the head for second option without a helmet, and sculpted the hair and headband with Magic sculpt and Procreate.
Sorry for the creamy white resin, but that is what I have on hand in the moment.
I work also on the original head with the helmet simultaneously.
The Rhomphaia I will make separately, this is just for positioning the arms







Cheers!

I made the original head with the Thracian helmet, the hinges of the cheek guards I tried to sculpt, but in the end decided to make them from photoetch ones I had and brass rod:

Great Progress, lovely detail work.