"Turkish Headquarters" Topic

"As with any army of the 17th century, that of the Ottoman Empire was largely run and lead by the aristocracy, although some of common origin could still achieve high rank on merit. When the sultan lead his army in person, the headquarters naturally centred on him, but even in the absence of the commander in chief, the senior officers would delight in displaying their wealth and power in their clothing. Indeed the Kanun-I Teshrifat, the 'Law of Ceremonies', laid down very strict rules about what clothing could be worn by anyone in a particular position or social class, defining not just the cut, but also the fabric, colour and ornamentation. Such regulation was not unique to Ottoman society of course, but anyone visiting an Ottoman headquarters on campaign must have witnessed a dazzling spectacle of colour and finery.

Many command sets of recent years have included not only officers but also flags, musicians, support services and so on, but this set from Mars is less comprehensive. On the top row we find a selection of Janissaries, the Sultan's elite Household troops, which have been modelled before, but here they are in parade or court dress, resplendent with enormous plumes on their headdress. This would not be how they went into battle, and none of these poses look particularly combative, although we found some of them a little difficult to understand such as the man holding a large axe horizontally. We assume they are for the general security of the headquarters, and have been properly done here…"

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Amicalement
Armand