The unconscious need for giving dignity to one’s own area of interest is often the cause for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Notwithstanding the well established theses of most authors, some still continue to locate the origins of the practice of model tin soldiers in the history of ancient Egypt. For instance, Alberini writes:

"It is common to trace the history of model soldiers to the ‘guard’ of prince Emsah. These are two groups of wooden and painted model soldiers, in rows of four and columns of eight pieces, with each row fixed on a unique support, so that each of the pieces cannot be moved independently. These soldiers were found in the tumb of prince Emsah, a hero from the twelfth dynasty, about two thousand years before Christ. The findings took place in Siout, in high Egypt. The pieces are now displayed in a window at the Cairo Museum (or, more precisely, they used to be: according to recent news, they have now been moved to a storage room). The two groups represent a platoon of Egyptian heavy infantry, armed with javelin and oval shield (held with the tip upwards, i.e., in the upside down position with respect to mediaeval shields), and a platoon of infantry. Although they look like modern model soldiers, their use is entirely different, and they cannot be compared to more recent toys." (1)

As we pointed out, more recent literature has tended to substitute the thesis of such a mesmerizing origin with a more correct interpretation of archeological sources, thereby contributing to clarify the true historical identity of model soldiers. Nannetti makes this point with clarity and completeness:

"The experts of ancient civilizations have no doubts: those found at Emash, just as many other representations of the human figure in small scale, are not toy soldiers but “figurettes,” insofar as they were not intended for playing, but as a true depiction of the hero’s military achievements. (…) In the past, however, many have tended to blur the boundary between historical representation and play".(2)

Because of this, the archeological sources in the history of model soldiers allow us to cover a variety of different cultures, but may not further the understanding of their true features.
Up to the late 17^th century, there are only few indications of the need for representing everyday life in small scale models. An interesting example is provided by two riders from around the same age, the first now at the Cluny Museum, the second in the Mayers Collection, in Bruxelles. (3)
It must also be stressed that it is difficult to assess the production of toy soldiers before the XVII century, due to the manifold of forgeries which were sold during the XIX century as original products of the Middle Ages.
On the other hand, it is clear that archeological findings, be they plastic figures or depictions, are of essential importance to the modern collector, even when they do not provide immediate evidence pertaining to the history of the toy soldier. In particular, the modellist can find in them important sources of knowledge, which shall allow him to manufacture historically reliable reproductions.

Text by Andrea Masotti - Translation by Stefano Predelli

Notes (text):
1. M. Alberini, Collezionare i soldatini, in “Modellini da collezione”, Novara 1979, p.259-260.
2. R. Nannetti, Soldatini: storia e leggenda in miniatura, in “Un esercito per giocare”, Roma 1992, p.8.
3. R. Nannetti, Il Museo Nazionale del Soldatino “Mario Massaccesi”, Bologna 1997, p.53.

Notes (pictures):
1. Light Infantry, approx. 2000 B.C.. Source: M. Alberini, Collezionare i soldatini, in "Modellini da collezione", Novara   1979, p.271.
2.  Roman knight, 1^st century. Source: R. Nannetti, Il Museo Nazionale del Soldatino “Mario Massaccesi”, Bologna 1997, p.54.
3.  Gothic knight, 13^th century. Source: R. Nannetti, Il Museo Nazionale del Soldatino “Mario Massaccesi”, Bologna 1997, p.54.