Independent museum-inspired product · c. 2023
A bronze face became a buildable cultural character.
Cool Toys Trend independently transformed the distinctive human-faced Yachou Yue into a produced and publicly sold building-block display model.
Discuss a museum-object project
- Project model
- Independent studio development
- Reference
- Yachou YueShandong Museum / 山东博物馆 collection
- Status
- Produced & publicly sold
- Completed
- c. 2023
The project, clearly stated
What did Cool Toys Trend create—and what was the relationship with the museum?
Cool Toys Trend initiated the project, researched the source object, planned the product, designed the brick model and packaging, developed the instructions, managed sampling and production, and created the photography.
This was not commissioned by or produced as an official collaboration with Shandong Museum. The completed work was later presented to the museum and received a positive response.
The source object
A Shang-dynasty yue with an unforgettable human face.
The bronze Yachou Yue was unearthed in 1965 from Tomb M1 at Subutun in Qingzhou, Shandong. Its openwork face, raised brows and nose, circular eyes, exposed teeth and curved blade make the object instantly recognisable.
- 32.7 cm
- overall length
- 34.5 cm
- blade width
- 亞醜
- inscription on both sides
Artifact facts: Jining Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. English naming context: Beijing Municipal Government.
Object translation
Keep the silhouette. Let the expression do the rest.
The design did not reduce the artifact to a printed graphic. Its broad blade, squared crown, open eyes, lifted brows, long nose and tooth-like lower edge became the structure of the build itself.
- 01Recognisable outline
The widening blade remains readable even at display scale.
- 02Face built in relief
Brows, eyes, nose and mouth project from the surface rather than sitting flat.
- 03Bronze-inspired palette
Muted green and warm ochre suggest patina without imitating the object literally.
- 04Display-ready presence
A black plinth turns the completed build into a compact collection piece.
Prototype to production
The final model used fewer secondary patterns.
The project archive contains both an earlier, more patterned prototype and the simplified production version. Keeping them separate makes the development story visible without presenting the prototype as the sold product.
The object becomes merchandise
Packaging carried the artifact identity beyond the finished build.
The red presentation box combined the Yachou Yue name, artifact-derived imagery, the finished model and the Cool Toys Trend / Mr.Kuriosity brand system. Product, instructions and packaging were developed as one retail experience.
Shandong Museum is referenced as the custodian of the source artifact. The project was independently developed and was not an official museum commission or co-branded collaboration.
End-to-end development
From collection research to a product ready for public sale.
Cool Toys Trend carried the project across concept, product and production work.
Lead brick designer: 凸凸凸Dicken
- 01Artifact research
- 02Creative planning
- 03Brick model design
- 04Instruction design
- 05Packaging design
- 06Sampling & refinement
- 07Product development
- 08Production & photography
Produced and publicly sold
A collection object translated for more than one cultural setting.
The finished model was developed for museum-store and cultural retail, exhibitions, educational activities, events, conferences and gifting.
Turn a collection object into a product people want to meet
Start with the artifact’s strongest visual truth.
Share the collection object, interpretation goals, audience, intended quantity and rights context. We can assess the right brick language, product format, packaging system and development path.