Kaiyodo 1/20 Triceratops Skeleton Kit

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■  Osteology

■  Sprawl

■  Kaiyodo DINOLAND Series

Another example of a Kaiyodo DINOLAND series resin kit, this one was probably made near the end of the production run. Silicon molds have a limited life and from the uneven quality of the resin parts the mold was probably showing signs of age (unlike its matching T.rex kit which was perfect).

As a sculpture the model is a flawed masterpiece; clearly the work of an expert (Sigeru Yamazaki) it is well-researched and accurate. Nevertheless it looked rushed, as if the artist was under pressure to complete the project. I can't help but think it may have had something to do with the composition; it is articulated rearing upright on its hind legs in an overtly dynamic mid-combat position. This type of energetic posturing stems from "dinosaur renaissance" thinking that was very fashionable at the time the model was made (the sentiments are good but sometimes taken too far for the big animals in my opinion). I can imagine a scenario where the artist  was forced to "make it more exciting" and prompty lost enthusiasm.

The kit did not include a glossy photo or product insert bifold like the T.rex Kaiyodo kit (perhaps they ran out?), so the only record of the intended finished model is the low-quality box-top photo (opposite). Note the battered and undersized wooden stand with bent metal armature.

A single page of hand-drawn instructions were included, entirely in Japanese.

Stokes Dueling Dinosaurs Kaiyodo Mount
Brilliant dual mount of the Kaiyodo T. rex and Triceratops kits made as concept art for the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles County. For further details see the Sightings section of Kaiyodo T. rex skeleton kit page.

Hobby Japan
Article in Hobby Japan issue 12, 1993. Scanned from a photocopy sent to me by Horst Bruckmann.

Monstrosities Catalog

Original advertisment for the Kaiyodo T. rex and Triceratops skeleton kits in the 1995 Monstrosities catalog (cover image image far right).