Battle of El-Teb
Model Soldier Set
ca. 1890 (manufactured)
ca. 1890 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This set of 140 lead soldiers and scenery was produced at the end of the 19th century by the German manufacturer Heinrichsen, based in Nuremberg. It represents the Battle of El-Teb, which took place on the 29th February 1884 in the Sudan between Britsh infantry, commanded by Sir Gerald Graham, and the Mahdist forces, led by Osman Digma. It is one of a number of representations of specific historical battles manufactured by Heinrichsen, who were one of the foremost producers of this type of lead soldiers, known as lead 'flats' because of their flat shape. They have been made by pouring molten lead into moulds, and allowing to cool before being individually hand-painted.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
|
| Title | Battle of El-Teb (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Lead, moulded and hand-painted and wood, sawn, bent and glued |
| Brief description | Toy soldiers and box, 140 painted 'lead flats', depicting the Battle of El-Teb, manufactured by Heinrichsen, Germany, ca. 1890. |
| Physical description | Set of 140 flat lead figures and scenery, hand-painted, in original wooden box with lid. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | This set of lead soldiers was produced in the late 19th century by the German manufacturer Heinrichsen, based in Nuremberg. |
| Historical context | The set would have been played with by children, but also collected by adults. It represents the Battle of El-Teb, which took place in the Sudan between the British and Mahdist armies on 29th February 1884. Heinrichsen were well-known for the range of subjects depicted in the their sets of soldiers, which included a number of historical scenes such as this one. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This set of 140 lead soldiers and scenery was produced at the end of the 19th century by the German manufacturer Heinrichsen, based in Nuremberg. It represents the Battle of El-Teb, which took place on the 29th February 1884 in the Sudan between Britsh infantry, commanded by Sir Gerald Graham, and the Mahdist forces, led by Osman Digma. It is one of a number of representations of specific historical battles manufactured by Heinrichsen, who were one of the foremost producers of this type of lead soldiers, known as lead 'flats' because of their flat shape. They have been made by pouring molten lead into moulds, and allowing to cool before being individually hand-painted. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.705:1 to 3-2010 |
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| Record created | April 12, 2011 |
| Record URL |
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