I've given it a rather haphazard title, but this feature is about "showing off!" my dinosaur figures, which are unique to my home. In the past, I've gradually introduced one-of-a-kind items such as Mr. Araki's Ornitholestes (Treasure House Vol. 61), Mr. Isori's wood-carved Nessie (Treasure House Vol. 2 & Vol. 47), and hand-molded ceramic dinosaurs (New Treasure House Vol. 18). This time, it's a big year-end clearance sale.

First up are the works of Ryoichi Furuya, a remarkably skilled dinosaur sculptor in the field. Mr. Furuya's handmade skeletal models are magnificent, but the price, considering the effort involved, is almost embarrassing. In the past, a small number were sold at mineral shows, and it was also possible to request specific dinosaurs. I haven't heard from him in a while, but I would love to welcome new works into my home again.

(Photo 1) Acrocanthosaurus (approx. 1/4 size)
Purchased at a mineral show in Ikebukuro over 10 years ago. At that time, there was also a Tarbosaurus next to it, which went to cartoonist Tetsuo Hara. This piece is so exquisite that it feels a waste for me to own it personally, as it was created after thoroughly observing the full-body skeleton of Acrocanthosaurus, which made its debut in Japan at the Dinosaur Expo in Makuhari Messe in 2002.

(Photo 2) Brachiosaurus wall hanging (head length approx. 9cm)
It adorns the entrance to my dinosaur skeleton room. It's only reinforced by a single thin piano wire, but it survived the earthquake disaster!

(Photos 3,4) Sue (Black Hills version, approx. 1/10)
This is perhaps the world's only 3D model (though there are relief-like ones), based on the famous photo of Sue half-buried in the matrix from the BHI 2033 era before she was sold. The signature on the back is handwritten by Susan Hendrickson, the discoverer! In 2005, I couldn't meet Susan in person when she came to Japan for the unveiling reception of Sue at the National Museum of Nature and Science, but I asked an acquaintance to convey my request. Susan reportedly really wanted it.

(Photo 5) Coelophysis (1/1)
This is what I requested after providing reference materials. I am completely satisfied.

(Photo 6) is a work by Taburin, famous for his wooden skeletal models. It's a 1/10 Allosaurus. Many of you may have seen Taburin's skeletal models in museums, but holding them in your hand, combined with the texture of the wood, they are truly wonderful! I don't think many individuals own them. It's a piece I just want to show off.
You can see Taburin's works here.

(Photo 7) is a Rhamphorhynchus created by Masanobu Asami, which I found at the "Museum Festival!" held at the Science Museum this summer. I was amazed by its delicate craftsmanship and immediately bought it. It's actually a paper cut-out. The intricate details of its teeth and claws are truly divine. It's so light it feels like it could fly away. Its wingspan is about 33cm. You can see more of Mr. Asami's works on his blog.

(Photo 8) Ceratosaurus plaster cast obtained on Yahoo Auctions. Here's a copy of the product description:

"Plaster cast of a dinosaur by Hidenosuke Aiso (made in 1960)
Hidenosuke Aiso was a sculptor who worked on the relief sculptures of the National Diet Building and held a patent for coloring plaster casts to resemble bronze. This plaster model was made as an original for creating bronze statues and remained in Mr. Aiso's studio as a collection sample."

It seems to be something quite valuable. But its face is too scary... Height 42cm.

(Photo 9) This is a cherished item. In the early 1980s, when I was a budding dinosaur collector, I found a Tamiya T-Rex beautifully customized in the display window of my favorite model shop. I insistently asked to buy it (Treasure House Vol. 60), and this plaster T-Rex was purchased at the same time. The artist is believed to be the same person, but it's unknown. Even now, it has a great face. About 35cm tall.

(Photo 10) These are works by sansyo88, whose items are consistently listed on Yahoo Auctions: Chalicotherium and Entelodon (about 20cm). So far, these are the only items I've happily won bids on. Just recently, I missed out on Odontochelys, the oldest turtle. The auctions of this artist, characterized by their simple yet tasteful forms and calm, pale coloring, are always worth watching.

(Photo 11) These are 1/1 in-situ skeletal models by Phil LoBiondo, which I started seeing on Sekaimon auctions this year. The quality is decent, and with rare species selections and prices around 10,000 yen including shipping and other expenses, I can't help but buy them. Top left is Scansoriopteryx. Next to it is Mei Long. The two at the bottom are the Jurassic crocodylomorph Junggarsuchus, and on the right is a 1/4 living model that came as a bonus. (I used the auction photos.)

(Photo 12) A Dimetrodon by Allen A. Debus, obtained from Sekaimon. I found out through an online search that Debus is the author of "Dinosaur Sculpting," a book explaining how to make dinosaur models (which I have at home), published in 1995. Turning the pages, I found this picture! (Photo 13). I'm quite happy about this. It's about 40cm in size.

(Photo 14) This too is from Sekaimon, from the UK. It's a plaster model of Scelidosaurus created by Vernon Edwards in 1947. Searching for him online, I discovered he was involved in creating exhibition models for the Natural History Museum in London, and in 1934, he provided photographs of dinosaur models for W.E. Swinton's renowned book "The Dinosaurs: A Short History of a Great Group of Extinct Animals," familiar to older dinosaur fans. He also worked on paleontological models for the Bolton Museum in Manchester, so he seems to have been quite a significant figure. When this Scelidosaurus arrived at my home, about half of its tail spikes were missing, and due to careless packaging, the edge of the base was cracked, and worst of all, its neck was severed, a truly tragic state. I wanted to know the shape and color of the spikes to restore it, so I had a sudden idea that there might be an image online. Searching for it, I found it in an unexpected place: the Philpot Museum in Lyme Regis, which I had visited before (Treasure House Vol. 40). I hadn't noticed it back then, but it's placed rather casually beneath a huge Ichthyosaurus skeleton (Photo 15). The photo seems to have been taken in June 2012, and I acquired it in December of the same year. While the base color is slightly different, it's possible it was disposed of and put up for auction. Even if not, it's certainly made from the same mold, and it feels as if it "was meant to come" to my home.

Well, there's been a lot of dinosaur news in the latter half of this year. The National Geographic special on Spinosaurus, which I had hoped would provide detailed new theories, was unfortunately disappointing. The mysterious dinosaur Deinocheirus, with its illustrations, is quirky and interesting, but it's a bit of a shame that it lost the impact it had when only its hands were known. I hope there will be more exciting discoveries next year. Happy New Year!

(Photo 16) Hawthorne Village: Sinclair Gas Service Station Happy Memories (This is not a one-of-a-kind item)