# Small Sculptures in Star Trek :TOS

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 22, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176 "2015-06-22T20:46:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/1 "2015-06-22T20:46:21Z")

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In the various crew cabins on Enterprise, small Modern Art/abstract/primitive sculptures or decorative items are seem.

[ol]  
[li]Where can I find good images of them, online?[/li][li]Where can I find copies of them, for sale?[/li][li]Where can I buy Abstract Star Trek art, in general?[/li][/ol]

Note–Google just leads me to poorly-painted scenes from the TOS series, done by amateurs.

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### Author: ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/2 "2015-06-22T20:53:10Z")

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Some references here

> **[Ex Astris Scientia - Re-Used Props - Decoration](https://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/reused_props_decoration.htm)**
>
> Art, cult objects and other decoration that is the same in different corners of the galaxy

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### Author: ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/3 "2015-06-22T20:58:04Z")

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Heh, makes me wonder if there are Prop Department Interns looking through garage sales and thrift stores for weird objects that they can flip upside-down and call alien artwork.

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### Author: ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/4 "2015-06-22T21:01:32Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> Heh, makes me wonder if there are Prop Department Interns looking through garage sales and thrift stores for weird objects that they can flip upside-down and call alien artwork.

There is an episode of Enterprise where I recognized one of the props in the doctor’s lab, it was a special edition glass oddly shaped Evian bottle repainted silver.

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### Author: ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/5 "2015-06-22T21:10:27Z")

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> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#):
>
> Heh, makes me wonder if there are Prop Department Interns looking through garage sales and thrift stores for weird objects that they can flip upside-down and call alien artwork.

This [plasma disc gizmo](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Showlight-EUROLITE-equipment-Steinigke-80600115/dp/B000T9NKN6/ref=sr_1_cc_7?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1435007303&sr=1-7-catcorr&keywords=plasma+disc) sold by Hot Topic and others was used on several later Star Trek shows.

In action

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7gqe_kqtd68/maxresdefault.jpg "Plasma Disc") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gqe_kqtd68)

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### Author: ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/6 "2015-06-22T21:18:12Z")

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[quote=“astro, post:5, topic:723176”]

This [plasma disc gizmo](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Showlight-EUROLITE-equipment-Steinigke-80600115/dp/B000T9NKN6/ref=sr_1_cc_7?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1435007303&sr=1-7-catcorr&keywords=plasma+disc) sold by Hot Topic and others was used on several later Star Trek shows.

In action

[/QUOTE]

Heh, I’ve seen that thing a few times in Trek episodes. It’s so obviously useless, just a jazzed up version of the Jacob’s Ladder that appears in every Frankenstein movie.

“Alive? But there’s no wires or tubes or that… that _bzzzz_ thing.”

- Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin), _The Man With Two Brains_

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### Author: ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/7 "2015-06-22T22:24:33Z")

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I have one of those things. Although the guy in the YouTube video doesn’t show it, when you touch the surface the ‘bolts’ follow your fingers (same as one of those Eye of the Storm plasma globes). They’ve been used in many scifi shows/movies. In \*Star Trek \*they’re probably most famous as being at the top of the Borg’s regeneration chambers…

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### Author: ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2015, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/8 "2015-06-22T23:13:32Z")

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> [@astro](#):
>
> Some references here  
> [Ex Astris Scientia - Re-Used Props - Decoration](http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies/reused_props_decoration.htm)

Sorry, but it doesn’t cover the items in Kirk’s cabin, in _The Conscience of the King_.

☹

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### Author: ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/9 "2015-06-23T00:46:05Z")

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Poking around a little, I found a thing or two:

The statue in [this](http://s17.photobucket.com/user/fendert/media/TOSGRAPHICS%20forum/STC1-21-13009_zpsdd983d5f.jpg.html) image (from the fan-made [_Star Trek Continues_](http://www.startrekcontinues.com/) seems to be a good match for the [one](http://scifi.blogoverflow.com/files/2012/07/andthechildrenshallleadhd0755.jpg) in Kirk’s cabin in “And the Children Shall Lead”. It’s one of the most recognizable items and shows up fairly often. You might contact the _Star Trek Continues_ folks and ask what they used for references.

And you’ve probably seen this, but: [Star Trek Prop, Costume & Auction Authority: Captain Kirk's Quarters on the Original Series U.S.S. Enterprise](http://www.startrekpropauthority.com/2009/10/captain-kirks-quarters-on-original.html) (The images aren’t that great, but at least give you an idea what to look for.)

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### Author: ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-sculptures-in-star-trek-tos/723176/10 "2015-06-23T00:57:36Z")

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It’s all alien porn, tho. Just FYI.
