Bow Selector

LEGO®'s summer release sets are beginning to appear and I've been inspecting what new elements will be amongst them. What first struck me is the number of curved slopes or bows as LEGO call them. So to begin my first ever proper post, we have an amazing new element! I get pretty darned excited when there is a new part that could really add something different to your MOCs.

Brick 1x4x1 Inverted Bow

Element ID 6034043 | Design ID 13547
Colour Olive Green

This completely new part is essentially the reflection of an existing part. Previously AFOLs have had to use SNOT techniques to create the effects that inverted parts like this offer with ease. (Now of course, we can use this new element with SNOT for even more crazy effects!)


There has been very little in the way of inverted bows before and this one is definitely the smallest yet. I'm keen to know how it will look used with these similar parts:

It appears in Olive Green within Cragger's reptile raider (see pic) which is part of the mammoth 70010 The Lion CHI Temple - a set I'm really looking forward to for many reasons. I had the honour of speaking to LEGO Senior Product Designer Mark Stafford about it recently on the LEGO® Inside Tour. Several designers worked on the set, the final one being Mark. He said he took the best ideas from each of the designers' builds then brought it all together with some classic 375 Castle!

But I digress. Back to the bows.

[edit: I'm indebted to reader Jonathan Wilson who commented below to let me know this inverted bow already comes in Black, used on the front cab of the crane in 60026 Town Square. Please follow Jonathan's fine example and comment when I miss things, or get things wrong!]

Left & right Shell 3X12 W/Bow/Angle

Element ID 6034200 | Design ID 42061
Element ID 6034199 | Design ID 42060
Colour Dark Brown

Whilst on the topic of The Lion CHI Temple, here's another great inclusion. This pair of large angled bows is a favourite amongst spaceship builders, including Mr. Mark Stafford. So they will appreciate having these now available in Dark Brown and no doubt there will be Star Wars sets using these elements soon.
Dark Brown is a fledgling new colour that isn't getting much attention in the arena of basic bricks and plates. Instead you see it used more for detailing, especially as contrast to Reddish Brown. Hopefully a building - perhaps a Modular - will come out in this colour and provide that all-important array of basic pieces.

Bow Bottom 2X8X2 Ø4.85

Element ID 6032175 | Design ID 11301
Colour Dark Bluish Grey [BL] / Dark Stone Grey [TLG]

I tend to avoid buying 'full' bows like this aircraft fuselage as they are less useful than half-bows. But in its favour: this new one is just two studs wide - usually they are six - so will be of greater use, it's bley, and as I mentioned at the start inverted bows are rare in LEGO. Beggars can't be choosers. It's already available, in 60022 Cargo Terminal where you'll also find these matching two-wide upper halves.

And finally, let's make some brand new Friends. All the rest of this post's elements will be found in just one set for the time being, 41013 Emma s Sports Car.

Brick With Bow 1X4

Element ID 6045945 | Design ID 11153
Colour Lavender

Brick 1X6 W/Bow

Element ID 6037657 | Design ID 41762
Colour Lavender

At first glance I assumed these two were Medium Lavender (see the darker example at bottom of pic), which is a recent but now common colour in Friends; but in fact they are simply Lavender - a colour previously only used in recent Duplo and in 8805 Series 5 Collectible Minifigures Fitness Instructor, for that cute little ghetto blaster she holds. This year it has begun to appear in Friends figures and accessories, and will be used for the two Umbaran soldiers' heads in 75013 Umbaran MHC" (Mobile Heavy Cannon). Yup, Lavender comes to Star Wars. Who says LEGO don't reflect diversity? But Emma's Sports Car marks the first time that useful System pieces have appeared in Lavender.

So it looks like the Friends range will continue to expand the LEGO colour palette - I'll be blogging about more 'new' Friends colours - which is great news. Although expanding the subtleties of the purple spectrum might not have been my number one choice!

[edit: Slightly old news, but seeing as it is bley I'll set an exception; Brick 1X6 with Bow was finally released in Light Bluish Grey [BL] / Medium Stone Grey [TLG] at the beginning of this year. Get it in 75012 BARC Speeder" with Sidecar. Now, let's return to the purpleorama...]

Brick W/Bow 1/3

Element ID 6037650 | Design ID 50950
Colour Magenta [BL] / Bright Reddish Violet [TLG]

This rich colour has popping up since 2000 in various girls' themes, Duplo and Disney/Pixar themes. I wouldn't say I use it often! But it is one of my preferred purples thanks to its boldness. There is a good range of bricks, slopes, tiles and plates available, but only some are found in recent Friends sets like 3315 Olivia s House, 3932 Andrea’s Stage and 41004 Rehearsal Stage - to get the others you'll need to spend some time and money on parts resale sites like BrickLink or Brick Owl.

Plate W. Bow 1X4X2/3

Element ID 6037886 | Design ID 93273
Colour Dark Blue [BL] / Earth Blue [TLG]

Ah, now this must be a less contentious colour with the general populace. It has a great inventory of parts and now comes in this beautiful piece I call the 'telephone' bow.

And whilst discussing these colours, note that Emma's Sports Car also comes with some new plates too. The first ever Lavender plate is a 2X6, the Magenta [BL] / Bright Reddish Violet [TLG] 1X4 Plate is introduced along with the Lamp Holder (aka. clip light) and in Dark Blue [BL] / Earth Blue [TLG] we get the 4X6.

Just to be completist about it (plus I heard cats are quite popular on the internet), there's one more brand new part solely available in Emma's Sports Car. Awwww. Kitty! OK, kitty is not a bow but you can put a bow on her head.

So that makes 15% of the pieces in this set new and exclusive elements - that's a damned good proportion for any set, and it's just US$14.99!

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