Uniformology is the study of what uniforms military units had. The first uniforms are credited to the Swedes back in the 16th century, I believe (writing from memory). However this is only true to some degree. City guards in the middle ages had what we would call a sort of uniform. That is identical clothing. Knights had shields and markings that showed who they were, and who their troops were. Obviously that means there would have been some uniformology to troops. It goes back a little more, Romans had the same type of equipment, that too was a sort of uniformology. The question is how far does this go back.
At the same time there is the question of colors. Obviously a world war II german wouldn't dress up in pink camouflage. Neither would a Germanic tribesman at Teutoburger Wald be that color. So there are some things we can say about colors. There are those that are probable, and those that are improbable and very improbable, not to say impossible.
So, should you keep that in mind when you paint? I think so, but I realize that it is a spectrum and that we all paint for different reasons. For instance, since I want to wargame with my figures some uniformness is required by my units. Be that if they have identical shields, identical clothing, etc. Others are more pure and want to paint each Greek hoplite differently, regardless of them being a unit or not. Then there are those that paint from free imagination, which is ok too. All I want to know when looking at peoples figures is, how historical do they think they are themselves. What compromises have they made.
Here are some of my worst historical figures, when it comes to uniformology:
These guys have a colorscheme that would be impossible in their time. They are lilac/purple colors. I stressed when I made them, and posted them elsewhere that these were an imagination. That they were a part of an imaginary nation (an Imagi-nation). I envisioned them being from some Greek settlement along the coast of Libya.
These are Oscans. That is a generalized tribe of Oscan people, any of the Italics that were before they were Rome conquered them, and assimilated them. These are wearing bright blue. This is wrong, because they are an auxilliary unit, and those would be poor, and the lighter blue colors were more expensive than the darker blue ones. Also their shields are too standardized.
Another Oscan unit of Auxilia. These are purple. Again not a color that was common in Ancient Italy. So where they got it from is a good question. At the time I just painted how I felt they should be painted, and not according to history. Today the above three units are some of those I am most dissatisfied with that I have.
The above unit is one of Samnite Warriors that have are oathsworn never to flee. The linen league, I belive they are called. They are completely clad in white, as history would have it, but they have silver-colored armor, which was simply not done back then. They should be Bronze. Probably polished bronze, and that would look golden to a certain degree. Also they are equipped like Hoplites, which is very unlikely for Samnites, who fought in proto-maniple style. Which would mean lighter shields.
Here above we have what I at the time called Samnite Linen League cavalry. I assumed back then that the Linen league was a force that had all elements of war, able to do all the missions. Auxilia, Hoplite and Cavalry. But two things are wrong with this unit. The helmets are Silver, and the helmets are of Campanian design. It would be more accurate to call the Campanians. Also white capes are wrong for them. They were improbable (although I have painted them a creamish color), because they would easily get dirty, and secondly it was a cheap color. Only bright white, which had to be bleached several times to remain that color, and often, would be a worthy color for an elite unit, or troops rich enough to afford horses, and have that armor.
All of these are however good enough if my goal was to make Imagi-nation armies, and did not care about colors. I would just have to declare it. I believe there is a place for all painters, of all skills (mine are not great) and historicity. But if you do not want comments on your posts for being non-historical, you might want to have these caveats mentioned, before presenting them. This goes especially the more complex the uniforms were and how much was known, for instance in Napoleonics.
I'll get down from my soapbox now, and simply ask you, what is your relationship with colors, and uniforms, for the ages you paint?
In ancient times, in a time when uniforms were absent and each soldier bought his own armor and clothing, I try to paint the figures using a variety of colors, except where the literature specifies a uniform outfit. Like for example the Spartans who all wore red clothing. Also Alexander the Great applied this tactic for specific units. In cases where there are no references to the chromology of the unit I try to use different colors to highlight the diversity of the garments.
J'ai toujours pensé, peut être à tort, que les armées antiques avaient des habits de couleurs assez sobres. Blancs, beiges, marron et quelques nuances de rouges. Pourquoi ? Parce qu'à l'époque, il n'y avait aucun colorant chimique, et que les seuls colorants existants étaient naturels. Plantes, baies, certaines terres. Je n'en vois pas d'autres.
Oui et non. Tout est comme souvent une question de prix. Les tissus les moins chers, et donc les plus courants sont les tissus naturels écrus. Ils sont donc les tissus de tous les jours, les tissus du travail, portés par une immense majorité. Mais dès qu'il y a fête ou célébration ou sortie, on ressort des tissus de couleurs. Et toutes sont présentes: noires, blanches, bleues, rouges, jaunes. Après c'est le talent du teinturier qui obtient des couleurs de prix ou pas. Mais aussi les matières premières par exemple la pourpre, tirée pendant longtemps d'une seule région à partir d'un mollusque gastéropode le "murex trunculus", a ~__ pendant longtemps hors de prix , réservé donc à l'élite. Si toutes les couleurs existent dans l'antiquité et au moyen-âge, les tons sont plus difficiles à obtenir: le rouge est qualifié de rouge mais cela va du rouge brique/marron au rouge pâle/rose. Et puis il y a les fixateurs de couleur. Les teinturiers utilisent l'urine, mais le procédé résiste mal aux lavages. en conséquence, sauf à être très riche, les gens ne s'habillent couleur que rarement, ne se salissent que peu, ne lavent les vêtements que peu ! ! ! En conclusion: toute la gamme des couleurs existe mais est utilisée qu'exeptionellement ou alors en petites touches brodées bandes de tissus cousues etc.
Une petite précision, les légionnaires de Rome reçoivent une tunique écrue. Qu'ils échangent assez vite pour une tunique rouge. Certains historiens pensent c'est une question de prestige mais aussi et surtout cela masque le sang cachant à l'ennemi ses blessures . . . . . . .cela disparaitra tout doucement sous le bas empire.
Une petite précision, les légionnaires de Rome reçoivent une tunique écrue. Qu'ils échangent assez vite pour une tunique rouge. Certains historiens pensent c'est une question de prestige mais aussi et surtout cela masque le sang cachant à l'ennemi ses blessures . . . . . . .cela disparaitra tout doucement sous le bas empire.
Très intéressant, j'ignorais cela. Merci de l'info.
I thought so about the ancients too until I started reading the Osprey books, in which all the ancient warriors are presented with a very large color variety, the Greek hoplites, the Persians, the Thracians, the Celts, the Samnites, the Scythians, all of them. Especially in the books, Army of Alexander the Great and Macedonian armies after Alexander, the variety of colors is amazing. Also, the Macedonian army is dominated by purple, a rare and expensive color.
C'est une vision populaire surtout induite par le cinéma qui nous montre l'antiquité et surtout le moyen-âge triste sombre et sale. Cette vision est issue également des écrits de la renaissance et de l'Eglise relayée par les historiens des siècles suivants. Les "Barbares" germains et les serfs du moyen-âge ne sont pas sales et abrutis. Pour revenir sur les couleurs, aujourd'hui encore les peuples d'Afrique du sud et/ou les peuples d'Amérique latine ont des panels de couleurs vives à partir de produits et d'éléments naturels. Ce qui pêche quelque peu c'est la conservation des tons. (et le savoir faire des teinturiers)
Zitat von Zouave72 im Beitrag #8C'est une vision populaire surtout induite par le cinéma qui nous montre l'antiquité et surtout le moyen-âge triste sombre et sale. Cette vision est issue également des écrits de la renaissance et de l'Eglise relayée par les historiens des siècles suivants. Les "Barbares" germains et les serfs du moyen-âge ne sont pas sales et abrutis. Pour revenir sur les couleurs, aujourd'hui encore les peuples d'Afrique du sud et/ou les peuples d'Amérique latine ont des panels de couleurs vives à partir de produits et d'éléments naturels. Ce qui pêche quelque peu c'est la conservation des tons. (et le savoir faire des teinturiers)
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24.03.2024 23:02
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