posted
Man, I'd be so creeped out if I found that in my garage, I'm not sure what I would do. Dang cool, though.
-------------------- and it's 1 - 2 - 3, what are we fighting for? don't ask me, I don't give a damn Posts: 1319 | From: Florida | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Well, the bible does mention Unicorns-- it would be so cool though if this were real.
As far as the umbilical cord thingie-- I think them being birthed via eggs is the imagination of several ficiton writers. Whose to say they weren't born vaginally instead of by egg?
I just think it would be cool as hell to own that.
-------------------- Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in hand, body thoroughly used up, and screaming WoW what a ride! Posts: 2924 | From: Flori-duh | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
Wow! Whoever made that was REALLY talented! I hope they can unearth the story behind who created it and how.
-------------------- "That would be really dangerous, you know. Indiscriminately extricating someone from the petrified corpse of a supernatural creature." - My Husband Posts: 4308 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
I'm gonna go out on a limb here. The world has not stopped hoaxing since Victorian times. It may be that this was recently made and the whole story of it being old and the documentation could be faked. Industrial Light & Magic (or any modern prop-maker) could whip one of these up pronto.
Just thinking out loud.
-------------------- Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you! Posts: 3157 | From: Illinois | Registered: Dec 2002
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Either way the thing looks really cool I think whoever made it deserves props. Now we just need someone to make a baby unicorn, centaur, chimera, griffon, hydra, etc. I want one for my desk!
-------------------- "That would be really dangerous, you know. Indiscriminately extricating someone from the petrified corpse of a supernatural creature." - My Husband Posts: 4308 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2003
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Brother Unwin of Baskerville
The Red and the Green Stamps
posted
quote:Originally posted by Syllavus in the Study: I think whoever made it deserves props.
Was that a pun?
I think you can buy jarred aliens. People might take issue with jarred unicorns, though.
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DemonWolf
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
quote:Originally posted by Lady Moon Shadows: Well, the bible does mention Unicorns-- it would be so cool though if this were real.
It does? Do you remember what chapter?
-------------------- Friends are like skittles: they come in many colors, and some are fruity!
posted
I've not verified this, but according to my minister's email loop-- the discussion came about with unicorns being mentioned... someone quoted this:
"Unicorn" occurs in the King James Version in the passages cited, where the Revised Version (British and American) has "wild-ox" (which see).
I was "kind of" making a snarky remark--but not mean-snarky, just talking out the side of my mouth.
Anyway, those are the references he gave.
-------------------- Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in hand, body thoroughly used up, and screaming WoW what a ride! Posts: 2924 | From: Flori-duh | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Syllavus in the Study: ^ Bonsai Dragon?
Either way the thing looks really cool I think whoever made it deserves props. Now we just need someone to make a baby unicorn, centaur, chimera, griffon, hydra, etc. I want one for my desk!
-------------------- Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you! Posts: 3157 | From: Illinois | Registered: Dec 2002
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Ya Soshla S Uma
The Red and the Green Stamps
posted
K, as far as the umbilical cord, chicks have a short cord to their yolk sac, so this dragon could still be from an egg. And if this does turn out to be fake and from the 1800's, it rivals anything we have done in modern movies. And if it is real, well, all I can say is "About time."
posted
I agree on all counts; that thing is totally cool, whatever its age, and if it were actually real, that would be so awesome! Imagine the shock of finding that thing in your garage, though! I'd drop whatever I was holding and yell for any family or friends that were nearby. I can't blame the porter for keeping it, can you? I'd sure as heck hate to have to throw something like that away! Oh, on the 'not-having-big breast muscles' to move the wings - would a newborn have such muscles anyway? Seems logical to me that the muscles would start small and grow bigger as they were used, like any other muscles.
posted
Are you honestly trying to create an argument that this could be real? No insult intended but you aren't thinking like that are you?
Is anyone thinking that this is a real creature that was stuck in a glass jar with formaldehyde (or whatever) and remained in obscure isolation from the whole world? If it is real then the person who put it in the jar would know that, and would have crowed it to the world, don'tcha think? I mean, come on, they're talking about the 1890's here. If somebody really caught a dragon and stuck it in a jar, then took it to a museum and they said it was fake, do you think that person would just walk away sad-faced? Why not tell the curators they are full of crap and to go ahead and dissect a portion of it? Why not take it to anyone else?
Really, how supremely ignorant and naive of a hoaxer in the 1890's (or any time) to think that a fellow scientist wouldn't want to pull this out of the jar and examine it? Hello? Hello?
This is why I wouldn't be surprised at all if it's brand new.
-------------------- Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you! Posts: 3157 | From: Illinois | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Concerning man-made things from the 1890's:
There was no production of detailed models like this for film at all. However artisans have been creating sculptures and other dimensional art of extraordinary detail and accuracy for many many centuries. From the same era as this "dragon" you had exceptional artists creating animal figurines of bronze, stone, ceramic, wooden, ivory, etc.
This was a time when Tiffany, Galle, Faberge and others were creating highly accurate animal objects. And what about Asia (The Orient)? Wow, they were making incredible things not too different from this!
-------------------- Terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied... by you! Posts: 3157 | From: Illinois | Registered: Dec 2002
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-------------------- If you don't appreciate the irony, the irony appreciates.
"Sappiness and medieval violence: it's a wonderful combination. Like chocolate and peanut butter for the mind." -me on my fantasy novel-in-progress Posts: 2281 | From: Arizona | Registered: Apr 2002
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NansJns
The Red and the Green Stamps
posted
quote:Originally posted by Barns & No Bull:Are you honestly trying to create an argument that this could be real? No insult intended but you aren't thinking like that are you?
Of course we know it's most assuredly fake; but. . .a little hope never hurt anyone, did it?
ETA: You know what? The guy who owns it should find a way to contact the people doing the Harry Potter movies and ask them if they'd like to use it as a prop in the background of one of the classes!
posted
I heard another strange urban legend. The story is that someone posted pictures of a six-limbed dragon in a jar on the internet, and a group of people that considered themselves to be skeptics actually toyed with the possibility that the dragon might be real.
Posts: 374 | From: Brighton, Michigan | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
I saw this on another board that I visit. I know better than to think it's real, but I have to give kudos to the sculpter for such awesome attention to detail.
posted
I find th earticle quite contradictory, the author refers to the dragon as a model and part of a hoax, and then the chappy who found it said that Oxford University wanted to take a biopsy to determine if it was real. Even though he knew the background story.
Hmmm.. anyone explain this to me? I'm not quite with it this morning.
Holly
Posts: 1555 | From: Leicestershire, England | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Wow. The last picture posted really gets across how skillful a model that really is.
Its perfection is the immediate strike against it, of course. Even pickled, there would be more deterioration than there is on that specimen. Still, what an incredible piece for something of that era.
Anyone have any hunches as to what it may be made out of? It would seem like certain materials would have given it away as a hoax way too easily...
terralioness
-------------------- "I never liked Hemingway." "I never liked you." Posts: 543 | From: Brooklyn, NY | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I've made comments throughout this thread and I'll say again that this may be a modern hoax. Some things just don't "add up" to it being exactly what the story says.
It might help if you read the story here again before I hash out a few things...
There has always been a sort of "rivalry" between scientists for interesting discoveries and refutations that sometimes may have a nationalistic character. The story suggests that this sets the stage for Germans attempting to humiliate (the word 'discredit' is also used) Brits by presenting this "hoax" to the Natural History Museum. But it doesn't explain how it would have humiliated/discredited the Brits. Were the Brits insisting there weren't dragons while the Germans insisted there might be? Was the humiliation to come simply by pretending to discover an extraordinary thing? There doesn't seem to be an obvious answer.
The story says, "...almost had the experts fooled." Really? What evidence is there to use the word 'almost'? What hoaxer would think that an 'expert' would not want to open the jar and inspect the thing? How could they have possibly pulled off the hoax? They would have to insist that nobody open the jar. IOW, the hoaxers could never let the jar out of their possession. How were the hoaxers prepared to deal with questions about where it came from? It appears to be "newborn" with the umbilical attached. Where were the dragon parents supposed to be?
Look, whoever made this thing put enormous amounts of talent and time into it. If it was purchased or commissioned to be made for a hoax purpose then somebody had to pay a lot of money for it. How could so much be invested into a model that was 100% certain to be uncovered as a hoax the instant somebody opened the jar? And then we are told that after the museum turned it away "it was sent to be destroyed". Why? Why on earth would anyone want to destroy this detailed expensive model? Why wouldn't the maker or the hoaxer want it back if the museum ended up not wanting it?
We are told, "I remember the crate it was in from when I was a kid because it was in my dad's workshop. He just used to say the crate was fragile because it had a glass container in it. But I never saw what was in it." Why on earth didn't the father show it off, or at least mention what was in the crate? That seems silly.
Then mentions, "Such things don't exist do they? It is very odd-looking." What? This guy is really naively asking the reporter if dragons really don't exist? Give me a break!
Also mentioned, "...suspended in a jar of what is thought to be formaldehyde...It could be made from India rubber, because Germany was the world's leading manufacturer of it at the time, or it could be made of wax." Would rubber or wax be degraded by formaldehyde? Why not remove the lid and take a sniff? Hell, why not take the damn thing out of the jar for the reporter? If it is synthetic it won't be harmed if gently handled, yes?
Why have there been no follow-up stories to confirm what this is? The container doesn't appear to be a traditional specimen jar. It doesn't appear to have a screw-on seal lid. The top appears to narrow then widen again. What sort of a "seal" is there? Does anyone know if this type of jar was used in the 1890's for specimens? It almost looks like a black ring or disc sits in the narrowing with something white above it? Styrofoam? Cotton?
Needless to say, I think I smell a rat. I think it might be recently-made and the story made up (with faked documents) as a modern hoax. Maybe.
If you think that someone would not, or could not do this, look at this...
posted
I'm with you, Barns. I don't buy the background story, and I think it's a recently made piece.
But I also think it's a beautiful sculpture, and I give major kudos to the artist.
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Somehow I just can't get over the idea that it's really just a painting/drawing. The pose and lightning are just too "perfect". Just look at the arms and the borders between the light and dark surfaces (left side of the head!) Also the wings don't seem to fit in the jar (which may be a PS addition).
Posts: 794 | From: Utrecht, Utrecht | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Barns & No Bull: Now young man, you will stay after class and write 100 times on the chalkboard...
I WILL READ THE THREAD BEFORE RESPONDING I WILL READ THE THREAD BEFORE RESPONDING I WILL READ THE THREAD BEFORE RESPONDING...
(Reading back the whole thread) The idea that it might just be a painting and not a three-dimensional model? No, I didn't get that from the above thread. Maybe I misunderstood some of the postings, but it seemed to me that they mostly suggested it to be a model, either old or modern. Sorry about that.
Posts: 794 | From: Utrecht, Utrecht | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Lady Moon Shadows: Well, the bible does mention Unicorns-- it would be so cool though if this were real.
The bible mentions a dragon all through Revelation 12. Of course it's a metaphor for Satan, but if Satan had a kid wouldn't it have an umbilical cord??
Maybe it's like a Twilight Zone episode - a mild, unassuming man has Satan's child captured for eternity in a jar in his garage.
-------------------- No man has a right in America to treat any other man "tolerantly" for tolerance is the assumption of superiority. -Wendell L. Willkie Posts: 3833 | From: Virginia | Registered: Oct 2001
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I think whoever made it deserves props. Now we just need someone to make a baby unicorn, centaur, chimera, griffon, hydra, etc. I want one for my desk!
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No insult intended but you aren't thinking like that are you?
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