The design of Miraz’s ornate armor had its roots in the back story of the Telmarine culture- that being one of pirates from ancient Earth who found their way into Narnia centuries ago and established a new civilization there. Searching for a unique shape and color identity to distinguish the Telmarines, Weta’s artists mined this lost history for inspiration. Despite now being a people estranged from the sea, elements of their nautical past are evident in the direction of the design their armory took and in turn these same motifs were incorporated into Miraz’s plate armor.
Miraz’s helmet was the first component of his armor to find a strong direction during the design phase. From the outset Director Andrew Adamson suggested experimenting with the idea of masks and this eventually lead Weta’s designers to create the stylized, bearded faceplate seen in the final helmet (crafted by Weta sculptor Max Patte). Designer Paul Tobin found inspiration for the shape of Miraz’s helmet in the styles of the Spanish conquistador explorers, while the mask was influenced by the intimidating masks of samurai helmets. Paul reinterpreted them, using sculptural stylization derived from classical European statuary and the iconic representations of the marauding conquistador explorers to marry the helmet and mask together into something new and original.
Among the first of Miraz’s designs to be finalized was his elaborate sword, which designer Brad Goff gave a distinctive, deeply etched hilt. The rich engravings were a mixture of pictorial elements, illustrating the Telmarines’ history, and swirling wave and ivy motifs.
At the same time, Paul Tobin was honing the design of Miraz’s shields, employing three motif themes; that of the compass (another hint to the Telmarines’ seas-going past); stylized fish scales; and strong architectural shapes that would appear also in the design of Miraz’s castle. The shields also established Miraz’s color palette- one of deep sea blue-greens against burnished bronze.
The design of Miraz’s armor flowed naturally out of the shapes being established by his helmet and weaponry. The conscious decision was made to create a broad, imposing figure that would stand in stark contrast to the color and style of armor worn by the Pevensie children and Prince Caspian. By choosing bronze as the metal base tones for Miraz’s armor, he immediately stood out from his fellow Telmarine lords as something different, but also presented a heavy, aggressive contrast to Peter’s lighter, silver-hued armor. Historically, Miraz’s armor references later real Earth styles, drawing heavily from the romantic era and featuring more complex articulation and refined construction than Peter’s outfit.
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