That Ol' Time Religion

Here's the start of the Viking-age Mythos project.  Conceptually, I'm aiming for a collection of items that a 10th century Norse cultist would have on hand.  The centerpiece is Fox Henderson's excellent Norse Cthulhu idol. Frankly, the pictures don't do it justice. It's a beautiful sculpt and the piece has a really nice heft to it.

The coins are hand-struck reproductions of period examples ranging from Middle Eastern Dirhems to Viking silver pennies. They're based on documented examples recovered from buried Viking hoards.  A black wash will bring out the details of the coin faces.

The amber Elder Sign is the polymer clay test piece I mentioned last week.  It does a good job of replicating the look of the real stuff and I plan on doing a number of small faux-amber items.  The Elder Sign is just a stand-in at this point, since it obviously makes no sense for a cultist to have one. 

The flint and steel are, well, flint and steel.  C-shaped strikers are period, but I'm going to try and track down one with some interesting ornamentation. 

Runestones

LuthienSecrets brings us these well done runestones.  The spiral flourishes are a nice touch.

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Cooper Edition.

Kevin Cooper brings us this towering Cthulhu bust.  The finished piece is 29" tall.

The Beautiful Bones

The Daily Mail has an interesting article about the anatomical models of Giovan Battista Risi.  What makes these pieces particularly interesting is that they aren't really models.  These are sections of real bodies, preserved over two centuries ago with a variety of chemical preparations.

I was struck by how much these specimens resemble modern gaffs, an impression furthered by the use of artificial hair, teeth, and eyes.  If you're curious, the scientific paper based on the radiological examination of the pieces is available over here.

I was also amused by how much this specimen resembles actress Summer Glau.  The pose is almost identical to one from a pivotal scene in the "Samson and Delilah" episode of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles".

Casting Crystal

The "Arms, Armor, and Awesome" cosplay blog brings us this excellent tutorial on casting faux gems and crystals with tinted resin.

Let the resin set, at least 4-6 hours (depending on the amount of catalyst used) before demolding the gems. (It may take a practice run to get a good mix.) Then you want to rough wet sand the gems with 220 grit sandpaper, and then refine the shape by wet sanding them with 600-1000 grit sandpaper for a nice, smooth finish. (I do all my fine detail sanding on a piece of glass to ensure I have a perfectly smooth and flat surface) The gems will appear to have a haze or fog to them, this is normal.  Finally, spray them with the Krylon crystal clear (or a clear gloss spray), and you’re done!

Handbook to British East Africa and Uganda

Anyone planning an African expedition in the classic era will enjoy the Handbook to British East Africa and Uganda.  Although it dates to 1912 it's filled with the kind of color that really brings something like Masks of Nyarlathotep alive.  That includes a helpful list of supplies for a three year expedition, recommendations for clothing, the intricacies of tribal relations, and two traveler's dictionaries for the local languages.

You'll also find a heaping dose of the casual racism of the colonial period, including multiple instances of the natives being referred to as "niggers", so be forewarned.  What makes it even more surreal is that the author seems to have a genuine appreciation for the people and cultures of the region.  One section includes a telling comparison of the supplies needed by Europeans with the minimal requirements of the locals. 

Elder Sign

A quick and dirty Elder Sign.  I was trying to get the slightly faceted look of one inscribed into wood or stone with hand tools.