 |
Heinrichsen Tin Figures Foundry
|
|
|
|
What the doo kitchens did for the girls, the tin soldier did for the boys, since, one could say, these tin figures brought the big wide world into the parlor.
There still a company in Nuremberg, with a 150-year tradition, whose name is respected in the world of tin soldiers: the Heinrichsen Company.
The magistrate of the royal Bavarian city of Nuremberg hereby grants a license to the engraver Ernst Karl Peter Heinrichsen, in answer to his repeatedly submitted petition, for the casting of miniature children’s toys with Rose’s quick-flowing metals.
Ernst Heinrichsen was a Silesian who got stranded in Nuremberg during his wandering years and decided to try his luck at making tin soldiers. The foundry he established is now owned by the sixth generation of his family. They are the keepers of a unique treasure, 16,000 molds for tin figures, most of them engraved in slate. Today, it’s a lost art form.
Every year, Brigitte Grobe re-issues a limited series of historical figures from this archive. The manufacturing process has remained unchanged for 150 years.
When the figures come out of the mold, first they have to be carefully cleaned, the casting pins have to be broken off, and the figures have to be washed and then painted.
By the time their cheeks and noses are shiny red, and the last feather in their hats gets that last daub of the paint, some figures have gone through thirty stages. This work once had to be done at home for poor pay.
Like many other toys, tin figureswere invented in Nuremberg, appearing sometime in the mid 16th century.
Ernst Heinrichsen was himself a brilliant engraver and quickly achieved success with his delicate creations. As Nuremberg was a publishing and art town, there was never a shortage of talent able to engrave shapes into slate masterfully.
In a time before television, tin figure often served to recreate far-off events and exotic lands. The tinsmiths got their models from illustrations in broadsheets and books. They would use the figures to represent current events. On the one hand, there were civilian motifs, such as markets or zoos, and on the other, military things.
Actually, business really started booming for the Heinrichsen Company only after the Crimean War broke out, and there was a very big demand for the battles of the war. We did quite a lot of casting then. Then when they were painted, the figures were packed into wickerboxes. They used to be sold by weight, for example, one pound was about 240 infantrymen.
Heinrichsen even cast the Czar’s bodyguard regiment in tin. It was an artistic, and moreover, a business triumph.
Wilhelm Heinrichsen was very much the business type of person. He didn’t have his father’s easy touch for graving. He had to learn engraving the hard way, but for that he was very good at dealing with financial matters. And, commercially, he got the company into top shape.
After the Second World War, Heinrichsen sisters took over the business. The irreplaceable molds and all the documents had come through the storm of war unscathed. Brigitte Grobe, the present owner, would like to pass the business on to the next generation.
I think, and at least I hope, that the seventh generation will still be interested in the tradition and will carry it on. I can’t imagine that the demand among collectors’ circles will be dropping offf at any time soon.
|
|
|
|
|
百年亨利森摄像厂
|
|
|
|
|
纽伦堡至今仍有一家生产锡人士兵的公司，已有150年的历史。它的名字在业内享有盛誉，它就是亨利森公司。
皇家巴伐利亚纽伦堡市行政长官，曾专门对欧内斯特·卡尔·彼特·亨利森多次呈交的请愿书予以答复，同意他用锡来铸造各种小型儿童玩具。欧内斯特·亨利森是西里西亚人，他四处漂泊，最后来到纽伦堡，想靠制造锡人来碰碰运气。现在，他的铸造厂归他的第6代子孙所有。他们拥有着独特的财富，即16000只锡人模子，其中多数是用石板刻制的。这在今天已经是失传的手艺了。
每年，布里吉特都要用这些“古董”限量制作一些具有纪念意义的锡人。其生产流程和150年前完全一致。把锡人从模子里取出来之后，要对它进行仔细的清理，表面上的小颗粒都要刮干净，然后再进行清洗、上漆。从面颊和鼻子都涂成粉红色到帽子上最后一根羽毛也着上色，这期间共经过30道工序。这些工作以前都是在家里完成的，而且报酬低廉。
和许多别的玩具一样，锡人在纽伦堡被首次制造出来，并在16世纪中叶流行一时。亨利森自己就是一名出色的雕刻师，他的精致创意很快取得了成功。纽伦堡是一个出版和艺术之城，所以创作石板雕刻决不会缺乏灵感。在电视出现之前，锡人常被用来再现别处发生的事件，展现异域风情。制作者常从印刷品和书籍的插图中寻找模型。用这些形象来反映当时人们的生活。一方面，它们反映了平民的生活，如市场、动物园等；另一方面则是军事主题。
事实上，亨利森公司真正发达起来，是在克里米亚战争爆发之后。由于战争爆发，锡人的需求量也增加了。公司进行了大批量生产。给锡人上完漆以后，就把它们装进柳条箱里。那时是按重量卖的，比如，一英镑大约能买240个锡人步兵。亨利森公司甚至还用锡制造过沙皇的卫兵团。它不仅是艺术上的成功，更是商业上的成功。威尔赫姆·亨利森是个很有商业头脑的人。他不像他的父亲那样善于雕刻，雕刻对他来讲太难了。但他却非常擅长处理商业事务。正是他把公司带入了鼎盛时期。
二战后，亨利森姐妹俩接管了公司。那些独一无二的模具历经战乱却依然完好无损。公司现在的主人布里吉特正打算把业务移交给下一代。我想，至少我希望，第七代传人会对这份祖传的生意感兴趣，并且把它发扬光大。我认为，收藏者的需求量在短时间内是不会下降的。
| |
