Go Figure Felix world of miniature figure modelling : Female Samurai Bust

Hi Everyone,

Here is my review of a 1/4 scale female Samurai resin bust by Paul Willetts Sculptures.

Detail of the releases:

Title: Female Samurai resin bust

Manufacturer: Paul Willetts Sculptures

Scale: 1/4, measures 12"/300mm to top of head including the base which measures 5"/125mm square at its widest point.

Sculptor: Traditional hand sculpted by Paul Willetts

Material & no. of pieces: 12 white resins

Cast by: Killer Kits

Order from: Paul Willetts Sculptures

First released in 2018

The female Samurai bust was ordered from Paul Willetts Sculptutres facebook page in 2023. The cost of the kit was £75 plus shipping. The kit arrived in a brown cardboard box. It consists of 12 white resin parts which are individually wrapped in bubble cushion wrap for protection.

The model was finely sculpted by Paul Willetts and cleanly cast of a ¼ scale bust kit of a female Samurai. She is wearing her tosei-gusoku (modern armour), carrying her diasho a long sword (the katana) and a shorter companion blade (the wakizashi) sword. She is holding a noh mask on her right hand. It looks like she is either putting on the noh mask or unmasking it.

The bust kit also comes with a nice base, which display a kobuto with 2 menpo (face mask that protects the lower half of the face covers the face from nose to chin).

Here are the parts.

Parts View

Head and Body view

Hands and Arms View

Kabuto, Noh, Menpo Mask And Diasho View

Base View

Final Thoughts:

A nicely sculpted bust from sculptor Paul Willetts. A big bust in 1/4 scale. Paul is a garage kit sculptor who is also interested in the Samurai mystique, armour, weapons, etc. He indicated he did lots of research for the figure and mask. He sculpted five different menpo and just settled on the three to mould and cast. But the bust does not indicate which Japanese period it is from. My guess is it is from the Sengoku to the Edo period or a reenactment or even a fantasy bust. Although the bust is cleanly cast, there are still a couple of bubbles on the hair and on the bust. Years later Alexandra Models did an Oiran bust with a similar pose. Paul is a very nice bloke to deal with.

My Rating Summary:

About the bust’s Noh-Woman and Samurai Mempo Mask……..

Noh Masks

Noh masks are iconic, hand- carved wooden visages used in traditional Japanese 14th century theater to depict gods, ghosts, demons, and humans. Actors use the masks to convey profound emotional states, shifting expressions merely by tilting their heads under stage lighting.

There were originally about 60 basic types of noh masks, but today there are well over 200 different kinds in use.

Types of Noh Masks:

Okina (Old Man Mask)

This type of mask originated from sarugaku, the predecessor of noh, in the latter part of the Heian period. This is the oldest type of noh mask.

Jō (Elders Mask)

Examples of this type are the Kojō, Asakurajō, Sankōjō and Waraijō masks. These masks are often used in the first half of first or second category noh when the shite is portraying a spirit.

Onna-men (Woman Mask)

When most people think of noh these are the masks that come to mind. That being the case, these tend to be the most varied and popular masks. These masks are categorized by age and character.
Examples of beautiful young women masks are the: ko-omote, wakaonna, zō and magojirō. The ōmiona mask also portrays a young woman, but with more of a working class background. Fukai and shakumi masks are both used to play mature, middle-aged woman of elegance and grace however the latter displays a stronger character. The deigan mask has gold rimmed eyes which implies that the character is otherworldly. Examples of masks for playing old women are rōjo and uba.

Key Female Noh Masks

Hannya (般若): A legendary mask representing a woman consumed by jealousy, anger, and anguish, turning into a vengeful demon. It features metallic eyes, sharp horns, and a leering mouth.
Ko-omote (小面): Represents youthful feminine innocence and beauty. It is highly cherished in Japanese culture and features a gentle, almost smiling expression.
Waka-onna (若女): Represents a slightly older young woman (around 25–30) with elongated, downcast eyes and a small mouth.

Otoko-men (Man Mask)

Heida, chūjō, jūroku, hatachi-amari, dōji, kasshiki, and yase-otoko are all examples of masks in this category which are classified according to social class and character.

Kishin (Demon Mask)

These masks were developed early in noh’s history and are used for portraying demons, goblins or other worldly creatures. This category is divided into two main parts, tobide (fierce gods or demonic spirits) and beshimi (goblins and other creatures).

Onryō (Ghost and Spirit Mask)

These masks are used for spirits of the dead who have regrets of some kind. In this category there are both male and female masks. Examples of male types are ayakashi, yase-otoko and kawazu. Examples of female types are yamamba, deigan and the famous hannya masks.

What is Samurai Mempo?

Mempo is the term for various types of facial armor worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan.

Men-yoroi (面鎧), also called menpō (面頬) or mengu (面具) is an armored face mask used by samurai warriors to cover their face and nose, below their eyes. Menpo was born in the late Heian period, and since then, various types have been created depending on the parts of the face to be protected and their uses. It is said to have become widespread from the end of the Muromachi period through the Azuchi-Momoyama period.

From the Muromachi period onwards, Menpo was used not only as protective gear but also as a means to intimidate the enemy. As a result, the design become more than a simple protective gear, but also with various expressions using motifs that resemble human faces, animal faces, monsters, and gods and Buddhas. The Men-yoroi usually had exaggerated features— warts, moustache, beards and even silver or gold teeth. The mask was made of steel or leather and its inner surface was covered with red lacquer because it was believed that the color gave the samurai a reddish, warlike appearance. The inner surfaces of the shikoro, mabizashi and kabuto were covered with the same lacquer.

Despite the huge variety, all face armours could be separated in six groups:

Hitaiate 額当—protects the front half of the forehead. It is not clear when the Hitaiate began to be used, but it is thought that it was used when the Happuri was replaced by the Hoate