Hussar Sutleress - 28mm Austrian Camp Follower

28mm Hussar "Sutleress" from Wargames Foundry 

This is another entry for the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge, a "Sutleress", a 28mm figure from Foundry, which I believe was sculpted by the Perrys. This was part of a vignette pack called "Hussars Mounting Up".  I thought this would be a near character piece for the Challenge.

I have no idea what a "Sutleress" was - the clothing looks a touch formal for some sort of standard camp follower.  The only reference I had handy (an Osprey book on Austrian cavalry) makes a mention of them as a "camp follower" in the "Hungarian" army, and not much more.  I think this will make a neat character piece for 28mm Napoleonic games.

The Challenge is almost over - just a few entries left to share here and that will be that for this year's challenge.  I'm not sure if I will stay in the top 10 or not (right now I am clinging to 10th place by my fingernails).  Stay tuned for updates!

UPDATE - 03/13 - Thanks to blog reader Allison M. for this info: "A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp or in quarters. The sutler sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, allowing them to travel along with an army or to remote military outposts."