Which lioness is better?

[Dan]

Alright, so both Safari and Papo have two disturbingly similar lioness figures, both holding a dangling cub. Anyone who can offer their input after seeing both in person - your opinion would be greatly valued here.



Left: Safari Lioness
Right: Papo Lioness

The most obvious difference probably lies in the superb detail of the Papo version, but Safari seems to have the edge in overall composition. What do you guys think? Granted, these pictures aren't really the best way to tell, but I'd still like to hear your thoughts before I place my next order.

[Tyrannax]

Obviously Papo's has greater detail, however, it also has an awkward stance. Unless that Lioness is holding her cub over a massive cliff to announce the newborn kit to the characters on the Lion King, it looks very strange.

Where Wild Safari lacks in detail it makes up for in its pose. However, I think most prefer detail to be honest. But honestly, I'm at 50/50.

[Dan]

So you pretty much share my sentiment, then? I don't know if I have any dislike for the Papo posture, I just kind of prefer Safari's because it feels like a snapshot in time. She's in mid-stride, the cub is dangling rather nicely by the scruff of his neck. Obviously I'll have a better idea when the Safari version arrives tomorrow. I'll put on my expedition hat and take some photos.

[Tyrannax]

May 16, 2009 6:26:25 GMT Dan said:

So you pretty much share my sentiment, then? I don't know if I have any dislike for the Papo posture, I just kind of prefer Safari's because it feels like a snapshot in time. She's in mid-stride, the cub is dangling rather nicely by the scruff of his neck. Obviously I'll have a better idea when the Safari version arrives tomorrow. I'll put on my expedition hat and take some photos.

Unfortunately yes..

Expedition hat huh? How daring.

Exactly. It has a natural feel, and the pose seems to provide more optionable scenes when making a diorama. Plus, it is probably cheaper(?)

[kikimalou]

Some Papo's lioness pics...

[kikimalou]

The better lioness is... the better one. ;D

The two animals are beautiful IMHO, I don't have the Safari but I feel it.

Prices ? It's funny but the cheaper one always depends on which side of the Atlantic ocean you are living...

Dioramas ? Perhaps the Papo is better because it's not a lonely lioness, you can also buy the whole family and they are in scale with each other. The safari lioness (6,25") seems bigger than the Safari Angolan lion (5,75").

So ?

You will find many many reasons to prefer Papo or Safari, they are different but they are really well made. The bad thing is that they can't live together if you like "in scale" collections. Safari is bigger than Papo which is bigger than Schleich. Life is really hard for collectors.

[Tyrannax]

These pictures and comments have modified my opinion somewhat, but I still urge you buy what you think will sell best, unless there is some unknown advantage among one of these two that absolutely belittles the other.

[sid]

Easily the Papo one

[Dan]

Thanks for the Papo pictures - those would have been harder for me to acquire.

I really like her eyes, they seem so life-like. The cub seems a bit unrealistic by comparison, though.

Shoot. I had no idea this was going to be so hard to decide!

[Dan]

Well, it took three months, but I've finally ordered the Papo lioness for the store. LoL. I'll post some pics here when it arrives, though I doubt they'll be as good as kikimalou's.

[crypto1]

Of course, I didn't know about this thread until Dan updated it with his final decision, being new here.

Nevertheless, at this late date, let me add in some observations from two replicas of each sitting in front of me.

The Safara, Ltd. lioness and cub are larger, more massive, and in some specifics, more realistic.

The Safari cub, for example, is more fully formed and sculptured, actually giving you a sense of a real animal. The Papo cub is a flesh ball that has some indications it is a lion baby. But Papo did not do a good job with this cub, physically, as the limbs melt into the body, and the head looks like a doll's.

However, there are other details on the Papo lioness that make her more desirable. The fine hair, muscles, and coloring represented on the Papo model look more like an actual female lion's.

What is funny is that on the cub for the Papo sitting right here, there are nicely painted brown rosettes (spots), which are found on (real) young lions until they are subadults. Even the larger Safari cub should have spots on its coat instead of the darker line down its back and routine sandy brown coloring of its coat, matching the adults. The Safari cub is grossly incorrect on that account.

But then I see in the photos above of kikimalou's Papo cub that there are no spots on the back of that one. But here, I have rosettes all over the Papo cub versus none on the Safari cub - making the Papo replica actually more correct on mine, but not on the one pictured above. Go figure. The dot artist was on break at the Papo factory for kikimalou's.

Needless to say, overall, someone did copycat someone else in making these cats!

For those that collect mammals, I recommend getting both. For those interested in extinct animals, they are fine substitutes. Certainly, the female Pleistocene cave lion looked nearly identical to these, with the size of the Safari one giving a better sense of the Ice Age lions.

[Dan]

Thanks, Loren! I think you're pretty much spot-on (no pun intended. Okay, maybe it was). They are both pretty impressive, now that I've seen both in person, so I think I'll try to keep both of them in my store. There is a certain naturalistic charm to these figures that you rarely see outside of dioramas. If you've any recommendations on other modern wildlife figures, feel free to let me know.

[landrover]

the lioness with the baby is very beautiful and I like this lioness papo: