Knights of Avalon

 

Greenhill Miniatures.

Peter Greenhill and Gilly Greenhill established Greenhill Miniatures in May 1977 .

In February 1978 they purchased the original brass moulds of the late Richard Courtenay who had produced miniature Knights, portraitures of English Royalty, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, Philistines and mounted jockeys until his death in 1963.

All the moulds are crafted in heavy brass and many are over fifty years old, several over seventy. The process is known as "drop-casting" from a ladle in the old-fashioned style. The moulds can be very temperamental and it requires much patience and skill from Gilly  to use them successfully. gilly_casting.jpg (31307 bytes)

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The delicate hand and knowledge of heraldic detail is supplied by Peter

The three figures below are Henri de Joinville who is the Count of Vaudemont, Laird Campbell of Argyll, and Lord Rivers. with a detachable helm.
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The little vignette "To Catch a King" showing King Jean of France attacking Sir John Pelham with Roger, Lord de la Warre and Sir John Treffry threatening the King. Of course you didn't kill kings as their ransoms were enormous

A heraldic miniature of Simon de Montfort Earl of Leicester.     The casting is a H9 
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More examples of Peter Greenhill Figures

 
  Model G5 .Sir John Lyon of Glamis   Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 5 Sept 1980 base stamped Greenhill England
  Model G5.  Sir Henry Stoner   Top of base written in gold name of knight, underside base stamped Greenhill England no date

 

  Model G5 . Sir John de Eland Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 2 Oct 80  base stamped Greenhill England
       
  Model G5 . Gilbert Waterhouse Esq  Top of base written in gold name of knight, underside base stamped Greenhill England no date

 

  Duke of Legnica     Model G 1. Top of base written in gold name of knight, underside base stamped Greenhill England, .this is a early example before figures were dated.

 

 

  Miles Noyers Model G2 . Top of base written in gold name of knight, underside base stamped Greenhill England, Wimbledon  9 Jan 81...G2

 

   

Greenhill Knights of Agincourt

 
 

Michael de La Pole      Body original Britain's dated 13th March 1996

 

  Jaques de Chatillon     Body original Britain's dated 18th June 1993
   

Courtenay-Greenhill

 
  Model 19. Baron Heinze von Weissenrode Top of base Knights name in gold.underside base dated 1979 Courtenay Greenhill

 

  Model 18. Halberdier of Lazarus Top of base Knights name in gold. underside base dated 23 May 1980 Courtenay Greenhill

 

  . Die Schwertbruder Top of base Knights name in gold. Under side of base dated16 Dec 2003 Peter and Simon Greenhill.  Courtenay Greenhill

 

  Model 13c. Teutonic Order - Sergeant with Banner Top of base Knights name in gold. underside base dated 24 Nov 2003 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Model Z1. Knight of Calatrava Top of base Knights name in gold. underside base dated 19 November 2003  Courtenay Greenhill Z1

 

 

 
 

Black Prince    Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 2 September 2005 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Archer Henry V Livery     Underside of horse dated 23 Oct 98 Courtenay Greenhill . .

 

  David King of Scotland    Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 20th Dec 1985 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Wicquet D’Ordre    No 8a Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 14 Dec 1988 Courtenay Greenhill . Excellent condition.

 

  Duc D’Athenes    No 8a Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 29th Jan 1992 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  King of Aragon   No 10. Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 1979 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Anceau Le Brun     No 15. Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 24 Oct 1989 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  John Hawkwoode    Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 24 Oct 1989 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Sierra De Grancey   Z-5  Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 9th May 1989 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Sieur de Brosse   H13 Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 1979 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  William Jolyf   Z 11 Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 12 Dec 92 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

  Z-16 Special- L’Eveque de Laon   Top of base Knights name in gold. Underside base dated 7 Dec 2004 Courtenay Greenhill .

 

 

 

Peter Greenhill is the author of two wonderful books on the art of the Miniature Knight.

 " Heraldic Miniature Knights " a history of the the great model knight makers that includes  Richard Courtenay, Fredrick Ping, Roy Selwyn Smith and many more.

May be ordered from his web site on his book page a must for anyone interested in model knights.

" Creating Miniature Knights" Peters newly published book, written with his friend the Florentine miniaturist Mario Venturi. 

Mario has produced a diorama of the battle of Poitiers for the collector David Shults, and the book discusses  the  the expertise involved and historical detail needed for its construction. 

Peter writes his own in-depth observations on the art of the miniature heraldic figure making, with many wonderful colour photographs. This is an excellent book and a great source of inspiration for any model figure collector or anyone interested in heraldry. 

Details of Peter Greenhill’s  of Peter's books may be found Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographs and text is copyright robert hill

2009 all rights reserved