This project has been a blighter for “things I thought wouldn’t take long but it’s 4am and I’m crying in confusion at the difference between necklines”. Slight exaggeration, no tears, and only 2pm. I thought Ching Shih would be an easy one based on the fact there appeared to be a really clear woodcut of her waist upwards that I could use.

As always, the more I dug, the murkier everything got! These two images are featured in maybe 99% of articles, book illustrations and form the basis of many art pieces of her. Neither is Ching Shih! The second one MAY be, but certainly not contemporary or based on fact. It’s a classic case of something being imitated until nobody knows where it originated.

So, damn. That was my “easy start” obliterated!

Before I talk about the design process though… who was she? She lived from 1775-1844 which was the Qing Dynasty in China. Her original name was Sek Yeung, all future names translate to mean widow of her husband – Zheng Yi. I have found different spellings of all throughout this which I think are just variants but please inform me if I’ve gone wrong somewhere. I’ll use Ching Shih for the article as that is how she is commonly known here.

Zheng was the commander of the Red Flags – a band of pirates. His fleet was around 300 ships, which Ching Shih inherited after his death. She took over immediately and over a relatively short period of time, through immense leadership, turned this fleet into around 70,000 crew and 2000 ships, said to be the largest ever. And why isn’t she a household name? Right?

She implemented a notorious code of conduct that gave women more protection, though, of course, they were still all pirates, so it would hardly be considered revolutionary today, but it was at the time. With the aim to make her crews behave better, rules with harsh punishments for how prisoners and female crew mates would be treated were introduced. In her earlier years, Ching Shih had been a sex worker, so you could see how her past experience had made her slightly more defensive of the women brought aboard than a standard male captain, having been in similar positions herself.

The fleet was so large and havoc causing that it attracted the attention of the Chinese Navy, who upon failing drastically to catch or destroy the Red Flag Fleet, eventually agreed to a treaty where she was pardoned, retired, and secured a pretty decent chunk of cash to retire and set up a gambling den for a chilled out and comfy retirement.

What the heck might she have looked like then?

I figured it out! Maybe! As always, there’s the balancing act between 100% accuracy and a cool model, and as always, I reckon I nailed it! So the hat to begin, many show her in a Qingdai guanmao aka Mandarin hat, which is a bit too official and solider like, especially for such a renegade. I did ponder the wide-brimmed straw hat which was commonly used at sea but decided, in the end, it might obscure too much of her face and therefore recognisability. Especially when I discovered that fairly elaborate buns are a hairstyle of choice for many boatwomen in a bit more of a formal setting, I figured that would look cool, and be realistic, as being a pirate queen and all, she would want to look a bit fancy. I’ve gone for a few strands down because of the wind and sea.

In her hands are a sack of coins and a dao, Chinese one-handed sabre. I am a fan of the “en guarde!” pose more than just standing there holding a sword. You just caught her looting your treasures and she won’t go down without a fight!

I am uncertain about the scabbard as to which way it would hang so need to figure that out before it’s sculpted, any ideas?

The clothes are quite simple. A silk tunic, which people can paint designs onto if they like, and some wide-legged fishing trousers. Many portray her wearing wudang socks with the trousers tucked in, but sailors seem to have these open trousers, which I guess dry off a lot quicker.

It seems like I didn’t do much research to get to these but it took such a long time, mostly on what NOT to do, so the result from all that is something simple, yet with a lot behind it. Oh yes, the belt! The belt is a solid status symbol, so that will be all jeweled to show she’s a leader. There isn’t any jewelry because again, she’s at sea.

As always my sketches are not as cool as what the sculptor will come up with, but soon you’ll be able have to trained your eyes to autocorrect to what Alan will make in 3D.

This means that all six of the first Community miniatures are now designed and being sculpted, so we can soon make a start on the next three – I am excited as to who you will choose!