Aquarium Table early 20th Century - 12th scale kit
Kit contains 6 legs, stretcher bad to join legs, Table top with the swan and seated bather, standing bather. Clear acrylic sheet supplied.
Original life size creation by Theodore Ullmann - Austria. Early 20th century 1930
When I first came across the work of Theodore Ullmann I fell in love with his small range of Aquariums. The delightful masterpieces are both playful and imaginative. Perfect for 12th scale. That is what we love about miniatures - the excitment of creating a tiny world that is as real to true life as possible and sometimes quite fantastical! This table aquarium gives us the best of both worlds. Immediately a story takes place in our imagination about the bathers and the swan...they are a moment of a story captured in time for us to enjoy.
This is a kit and consists of the clear panels of which there are 6, the top section with a seperate bather, the legs and the leg brace. Once painted and assembled the aquarium could be filled with clear resin or similar to represent water and then all manner of fun can be had adding plants, maybe a few small fish or a frog etc.....if you fill it with resin please check that the edges are all sealed.
The kit is both metal Pewter and resin.
NOTE: At the time of launching we have a batch of legs that are very slightly bowed - this is not an issue as they can be gently bent back straight. I shall check the legs before despatch. If you have any issues then please do contact me.
Measurements:
Floor to table7.8cm
Floor to top of head 12cm
Width of table 7.8cm
Depth table 5.1cm
NOTES
As with all my metal designs the pieces will require a little cleaning using a file and/or sandpaper. The metal is very soft so this is a simple and satifying part of the build process.
I tend to use superglue (Hafixx being my favoured choice) with a super glue activator to speed things up.
To paint the item I strongly recommend a metal primer. Spray primers are the easiest and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.
After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brished on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design.
A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest.
