Interesting Figurine

[JasefWisener]

I got a job at the local museum in my hometown, and, while looking through the exhibits, I found this figurine that was donated in 1973. Very nice representation of Neuschwanstein.

[Rudy]

No offense, Jasef, but it hardly seems to resemble Neuschwanstein to me. Is it supposed to be?

[AndreaDraco]

It's a view from the front, like here:

[Rath Darkblade]

Yes, Neuschwanstein is (architecturally speaking) highly characteristic of Ludwig's romantic imagination - all towers and turrets.

That's certainly an interesting figurine, Jasef. I imagine the coins would show Ludwig and Neuschwanstein, but what are those two heads? Ludwig's emblem was a white swan, so I think a swan's head would have been more appropriate - or are the heads supposed to symbolise Ludwig and Dr van Gudden?

[Rudy]

Hey, it DOES look like Neuschwanstein !

[Jules]

Maybe the heads represent the horrible urges to change into a wolf!

[AndreaDraco]

They are really strange. Jasef, do you happen to know what's on the outside of those little shutters? It might help us in figuring out what the faces stand for... or, do you have any chance to ask about them to the museum's supervisor?

[JasefWisener]

The outside is just ornamental, and the coin on the front inside is a depiction of the founder of my town, with a corresponding quote on the other side.

As for the heads, I have absolutely no idea, and the workers didn't know either as it was donated in 1973, well before any of them started there.

That said, I do like Jules's theory.

[JasefWisener]

I took a few more pictures of close-ups of different parts, and I'll upload those when I get home from work.

[AndreaDraco]

Thanks Jasef!

[JasefWisener]

One

[JasefWisener]

Two

[AndreaDraco]

I didn't understand that the "heads" serve actually as feet for the figurine!

Until the early decades of the XXth century, it was pretty common to shape these feet in animal form, usually lions or bears. This doesn't mean, of course, that I recognize the form of these particular ones , but at least now we know what do they serve for!