"Painting Arab Armies" Topic

Hi,

Am looking at painting up a Arab/Muslim army for SAGA/SOG, what Colors would there robes,tunics and head gear be?

Also would there be any uniformity among units?

Thank you.

Colors could be quite varied – blue,red, green etc often striped, but when in doubt, white is a nice fall-back color since white has cultural significance.
In the case of uniformity, I don't believe there would be uniforms in the modern sense, but common colors were often used. If I am not mistaken, in some areas red was used to mark the Jihadis that lived in the frontier regions and made war on the infidel. Another was green for Ghazi fanatics, but this might be later. It should noted that these colors would often be a turban or sash, not the entire costume which would be to the warrior's taste.

If I had a load of early Medieval Islamic types to paint I would be tempted to paint the entire lot white. After picking out the flesh colors, I would then randomly paint a few turbans and sashes different colors – blue, black, red,etc. Here and there a robe would be painted a different color, but the majority left white. All the trousers could safely be white. Shoes and other leather work mainly brown, but here and there black. Nobles could have garish shoes such as yellow or red, and any white clothes should be much whiter.

This might not be to everyone's taste, but no one could claim it was inaccurate.

My collection includes both brightly colored units and mostly white figures. I don't know how historically accurate the color choices are, but I like the results on the table.

Dirty or off-white predominates. "Sand People". That's my quick painting method, and "Arabs" are the perfect venue for it. Heavily primer in white, paint skin (horse colors), wood and metal, then wash with sepia ink. Finish the bases. Done. Now, at your leisure, go back and dry brush to brighten up a few figures here and there, add some color variation (by dry brushing mostly), shield patterns, etc.

My "Arab" infantry tend toward white, with yellow, red and black as supplementary colors. I find stripes annoying to paint, but as always YMMV….

I onlypaint pattern's on "Noble" (or whatever you want to call them…) cavalry and the like. Everyone else- plain as can be

As far as I know, there are five significant colours associated with Islam:

Green, black, white, red and yellow.

Here is a little run-down of their meaning:
link

I think it is important to notice that
- black is primarily associated with religion and shi'as,
– white is associated with purity,
- red is 'forbidden', but often seen associated with martyrdom
- Green is associated with religion, fertility and as a contrast to the desert,
- Yellow/Saffron is forbidden.

From TV I assumed they wore mostly white or off white. A few different colors on their Shammah's (head wrap) and sashes. So I ordered a ton of Gripping Beast Moors and several painting guides.

Man, was I wrong! These Arab fellows are as "pretty" and well dressed as Samurai! Colors and patterns.

If yellow is forbidden colour then my Saladin and all his guard will have to be repainted .
I can't remember now the reference which convinced me to paint his outer garments yellow

@Ran: nice figures nicely painted. Who is the maker of those?

What's the best Vallejo color for arab flesh?

Red and Yellow are "forbidden?" Well, I'll be swizzled. Saladin's yellow-robed Mameluks were certainly "forbidding" to the Franks! And my "Saracens" are just a pack of heretics, then….

Excellent stuff guys it seems white was the prevailing color with other colors for sashes etc.

@ Skipper John – Where did you get your guides from?

My 1990s Seljuks were painted White with various turban / sash colours, excellent looking army. And I have a Perry Arab army ready to paint in the same manner, it does look good on the table. Had an Abbasid army that was more colourful. Both looks work but frankly I am thinking white for speed painting.

@idontbeliveit – thanks. The cavalry are Perry Brothers. The infantry are Miniature Design Studio.

Illustrations of Arabian Costume & Soldiers:
Byzantines defeated by Arabs in Scylitzes Chronicle
Arab/muslim costume in Maqamat of al-Hariri BnF ms. Arabe 3929
Illustrations of Arab Cavalry in the 1305-14 Jami‛ al-Tawarikh by Rashid al-Din

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

- red is 'forbidden', but often seen associated with martyrdom

It may well have been worn by warriors who manned the ribats and it was worn in conjunction with other colors, like red and white stripes, black and red stripes, etc.

If I recall right Dr Moyles author of Shattered Lances took the view the Saladin and his guards wore yellow. He was a diligent researcher of the period.

Little thread necromancy:

Red and Yellow are "forbidden?" Well, I'll be swizzled. Saladin's yellow-robed Mameluks were certainly "forbidding" to the Franks! And my "Saracens" are just a pack of heretics, then….

Lol! I totally agree. I too heard (i think from you) that Saladin's forces were in yellow. Forbidden and forbidding is a good description.

So Saladin was a Kurd, right? (real name "Selahedînê Eyûbî", in Kurdish). Well he wouldn't be too happy today to see how his people are treated by their Muslim neighbours. They are spat upon by the Turks, the Syrians, the Iraqis, and everyone's favourites, ISIS.

So my Saladin Cavalry forces will proudly wear their yellow, as a snub to religious intolerance!

With that said, with my excellent generalship and leadership abilities, they'll be the first unit running off the table. That happens more that I care to admit.

I first read that Saladin's mameluks were robed in yellow in Graham Shelby's books, The Knights of Dark Renown, and The Kings of Vain Intent. Shelby's details were very well researched. Where he got the "yellow" robes from I have no idea. But until someone disproves that detail I'm going with it….

Are you sure? The reviews on Shelby's historical accuracy seems rather low.