So, today is my birthday. I was thinking of doing something special for my B-day, but I could not could not come up with anything creative. I started looking at the numerical date (4-2-1972) and applying it to my collection database (for example, the fourth tab, second clade, line 1972), but I could not find a logistical way to do it. Besides, the way I have my database set up, none of the tabs have 1,972 lines. So I started doing Google searches for the meaning of various numbers or dates in relation to animals. Now, first thing first, I am NOT religious or spiritual in any way, shape, or form, nor do believe in Astrology. That being said, Astrology is a good way to link animals with dates or years. I first looked at the Chinese Zodiac, since 2020 is the Year of the Rat and I was born in the Year of the Rat. Unfortunately, I do not have any rat figures yet (at least no traditional members of the genus Rattus). So then I thought about Western Zodiac, for which I am an Aries, and finally decided on a ram. Since my collection is primarily a synoptic one, that means we will be looking at the only ram I currently have in my collection, the Merino sheep that was released by Papo in 2019.
When I was researching figures for my Synoptic Collection, I was initially going to go with the 2018 figure by Safari Ltd. to represent the domestic sheep, Ovis aries. However, when Papo announced this figure in early 2019, the aesthetics were very pleasing to me and I changed my mind. That being said, I am not opposed to getting other breeds in the future if they grab my attention.
The Merino sheep is a breed of domestic sheep that originated in Extremadura, southwestern Spain in the 12th century. It is bred primarily for its wool, rather than meat. As a breed, the Merino sheep is an excellent forager and can adapt to many environments. Today they are bred in the US and Australia as well. I am not going to go into too much detail about the history of the breed and the quality of its wool, as these are topics I will admit I am wholly ignorant on. If anyone would like to expand our collective knowledge of the breed, please feel free to leave comments below.
The figure is about 8.0 cm long and about 5.0 cm at shoulder height. I am not sure of the scale. From what I can tell doing minimal research online, the Merino sheep is a ‘medium-sized’ breed (it appears sheep breeds are measured by weight rather than height). The detail in the figure is incredible, especially with the texturing of the wool and the folds under the neck. The horns have a nice texture and, being a ram, the animal is sculpted anatomically correct down below as well. The detail in the eyes and mouth are also very good. I was reading posts on the STS forum by people who are more familiar with the breed than I that the color of the face should contrast more with the surrounding wool (i.e., the face should be more white in contrast to the dirtier off-white wool). To me, this is a minor issue and does not distract from the final product.
If you collect domestic animals, or bovids or caprines in general, this figure is worth getting. Papo was slated to release a Merino ewe and Merino lamb in 2020, but we will have to see if the COVID-19 pandemic delays production or distribution.
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