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Re-Used Props - Furniture & Decoration
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider

Furniture - Art

 

Many props and pieces of decoration in Star Trek were later modified or even recycled without changes to represent equipment for a different purpose or of another civilization. Here are quite a few examples of furniture and artwork. Please note that every statement made here should be taken with a grain of salt. There is no need to seek for explanations. Certainly we are not supposed to watch closely enough to notice that the same artifacts are on display in distant corners of the galaxy.

 

Furniture

Tapered table The table on the Eymorg planet in TOS: "Spock's Brain" reappears as a couch in TOS: "The Empath". Curiously the latter is shaped like a huge version of the agonizers from TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".


Table in TOS: "Spock's Brain"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Couch in TOS: "The Empath"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Odd chair The extremely odd chair in Worf's quarters by the entrance is actually from the Tarellian plague ship in TNG: "Haven" where it really serves as a chair too. In the real world, the chair was designed by Peter Opsvik in the 1980s with the goal "to demolish the stereotypical ideal of the proper sitting posture".


Tarellian chair in TNG: "Haven"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Worf's chair in TNG: "Family"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Conference room chair The type of chairs from the Enterprise-E observation lounge reappears on Vulcan in the 22nd century. Only the color is different.


Enterprise-E chair in "Star Trek: First Contact"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Vulcan chair in ENT: "Kir'Shara"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Metal shelf The same diamond-shaped shelf made from metal rods can be seen in Kirk's apartment in "Star Trek II", at Farpoint Station in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", in the crew quarters in TNG: "The Naked Now" and in the Café des Artistes in TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris".


Shelf in "Star Trek II"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Shelf in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Shelf in TNG: "The Naked Now"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Shelf in TNG: "We'll Always Have Paris"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 1 This must be the best-selling lamp series of our galaxy! All of the four types of lamps are composed of several single tubes. In the real world they were all designed by the Canadian company Rougier around 1970. More about these lamps at Object <> Plastic

Type 1 can be seen on Angel One in the TNG episode of the same name, as a Cardassian lamp in DS9: "The Wire", as well as on Risa in DS9: "Let He Who Is Without Sin".


Lamp 1 on Angel One in TNG: "Angel One"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Cardassian lamp 1 in DS9: "The Wire"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Risan lamp 1 in DS9: "Le He Who Is Without Sin"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 2 The second type of lamps appears on Ligon in TNG: "Code of Honor", on Angel One and also on the Founders' planet in DS9: "The Search, part 2". But it is so popular that it found its way even into other universes like the one of Babylon 5.


Ligonian lamp 2 in TNG: "Code of Honor"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Lamp 2 on Angel One in TNG: "Angel One"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Founders' lamp 2 in DS9: "The Search, Part II"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 2 on Babylon 5

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 3 The third type can be seen as soon as in "Star Trek III" in the bar scene. This is the earliest known appearance of any of the lamp types, and it indicates that it must have been in the Art Department's storage for a long time. Further appearances are on Ligon and on Angel One.


Lamp 3 in bar on Earth in "Star Trek III"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Ligonian lamp 3 in TNG: "Code of Honor"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 3 on Angel One i nTNG: "Angel One"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 4 No surprise: The fourth lamp is visible on Angel One too, as well as on Ligon and on the Founders' homeworld. On a totally unrelated note, the lamp is also visible in "Scarface".


Lamp 4 on Ligon in TNG: "Code of Honor"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Lamp 4 on Angel One in TNG: "Angel One"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Founders' lamp 4 in DS9: "The Search, Part II"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp 4 in "Scarface"

(screen capture by Ciarán D)

Lamp post Here is a street lamp design that appears to be popular among human colonies such as Tau Cygna V and Moab IV, but also on Romulus and Barkon IV and in a remote corner of the Galaxy on the "Polaric Energy Planet".


Lamp post in four TNG episodes

(screen capture by Jörg)

Lamp post in VOY: "Time and Again"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Window in Riva's hall & in the Uxbridge house The same window can be seen on Riva's home planet in TNG: "Loud as a Whisper" (with a rectangular frame) and in the Uxbridge house on Delta Rana IV in TNG: "The Survivors" (with a round frame).


Window in Riva's hall in TNG: "Loud as a Whisper"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Window in Uxbridge house in TNG: "The Survivors"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Window on Rekag-Seronia & Arkaria As already mentioned, the Arkaria Base is full of stolen artifacts. ;-) Even the windows are not original. They are taken from the planet Rekag-Seronia (TNG: "Man of the People"). Annorax has the same window on his weapon ship.


Rekag-Seronia window in TNG: "Man of the People"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Window on Arkaria in TNG: "Starship Mine"

(screen capture by Jörg)


Annorax' window in VOY: "The Year of Hell"

(screen capture by Jörg)

On a different note, the statue on the left of Rekag-Seronia is not really of alien origin. It is a Buddhist statue known as Vidradhaka.

Yellow-red window The Cardassians and Klingons share a predilection for colorful window glass. The same window can be seen in Enabran Tain's house in DS9: "The Wire" and in Grillka's house in DS9: "The House of Quark".


Cardassian window in DS9: "The Wire"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Klingon window in DS9: "The House of Quark"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Cardassian window We can see a colorful Cardassian-style window (with the colors resembling those of the Cardassian emblem) aboard Dreadnought in VOY: "Dreadnought" and in the holodeck simulation of VOY: "Nothing Human". But the Mari in the Delta Quadrant are very fond of Cardassian style too (VOY: "Random Thoughts"), just not of the colors.


Cardassian window in two episodes

(screen capture by Jörg)

Mari window in VOY: "Random Thoughts"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Colorful window One of the most recent re-used bits is a window which appeared in "Star Trek Nemesis" as well as in ENT: "Exile".


Shinzon's window in "Star Trek Nemesis"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Tarquin's window in ENT: "Exile"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Art

Vulcan fire pit The ring around the Vulcan fire pit in TOS: "Amok Time" reappears as some sort of altar for the "séance" in TOS: "Wolf in the Fold". The ring seems to have been repainted but has still the same alien script on it.


Vulcan fire pit in TOS: "Amok Time"

(screen capture by Lin)

Argelian altar in TOS: "Wolf in the Fold"

(screen capture by Lin)

Hexagonal plate A hexagonal metallic checker plate that we know as a tray on the Enterprise in TOS: "Journey to Babel" and as a wall decoration on Deep Space K-7 in TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles" also shows up on the Romulan ship in TNG: "The Enterprise Incident".


Hexagonal tray in TOS: "Journey to Babel"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Wall decoration in TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles"

(screen capture by Michael Minnick)


Wall decoration in TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"

(screen capture by Michael Minnick)

Shield The same shield-like decoration adorns the walls in Mudd's throne room in TOS: "I, Mudd" and in Mr. Lurry's office in TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles".


Shield beside Mudd's throne in TOS: "I, Mudd"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Lurry's shield in TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Eagle statue An eagle statue is visible in the background of Q's courtroom in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint". The courtroom is somewhat different in TNG: "All Good Things" (it seems even Q doesn't pay as much attention to details as Trek fans ;-)), but the eagle statue is the same. It also appears in Karnas' command room in TNG: "Too Short a Season" (two of them) and in the bar on Qualor II in TNG: "Unification, part 2".


Q's eagle statue in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Karnas' eagles in TNG: "Too Short a Season"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Eagle statue in bar in TNG: "Unification, Part II"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Q's eagle statue in TNG: "All Good Things"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Bird statue A stylized bird statue can be seen in the simulation of the Klingon painstick ritual in TNG: "The Icarus Factor". The same statue later appears in Marla Aster's apartment in TNG: "The Bonding". She seems to have been fond of Klingon artwork. The bird, like many other familiar artifacts (just read on), can also be found on the Arkaria Base. Even Annorax seems to be fond of its timeless design, just as he already liked the window (see above).


Klingon statue in TNG: "The Icarus Factor"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Statue in Aster's apartment in TNG: "The Bonding"
(screen capture by Jörg)

Bird statue on Arkaria in TNG: "Starship Mine"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Annorax' bird statue in VOY: "The Year of Hell"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Helix statue A statue with a characteristic helix shape can be seen on Deneb IV in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint" and on Angel One. Years later, the same prop shows up on Yadera II in the Gamma Quadrant as part of Rurigan's holographic illusion (DS9: "Shadowplay"). On a funny note, the statue also appears in "Galaxy Quest".


Helix on Deneb in TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Helix on Angel One in TNG: "Angel One"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Yaderan Helix in DS9: "Shadowplay"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Helix in "Galaxy Quest"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Head statue This statue is composed of some round shapes on a stick, perhaps meant to roughly resemble a humanoid head. It can be seen for the first time on Rubicun III, the planet of the Edo, in TNG: "Justice". But the same statue appears on the highly advanced planet Aldea too (TNG: "When the Bough Breaks"), as well as on Gravesworld (TNG: "The Schizoid Man") and later in Data's quarters (TNG: "The Measure of a Man"). Maybe Data inherited the statue from his "grandpa" Dr. Ira Graves? The Uxbridges have the same statue in TNG: "The Survivors", as well as the notorious prop thieves on the Mari homeworld (VOY: "Random Thoughts").


Edo statue in TNG: "Justice"

(screen capture by Jörg)
  

Aldean statue in TNG: "When the Bough Breaks"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Graves' statue in TNG: "The Schizoid Man"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Data's statue in TNG: "The Measure of a Man"

(screen capture by Jörg)

The Uxbridges' statue in TNG: "The Survivors"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Mari statue in VOY: "Random Thoughts"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Humanoid statue A stylized humanoid figure could be seen on Kataan in TNG: "The Inner Light", as well as on the unnamed "Polaric Power Planet" in VOY: "Time and Again".


Kataanian statue in TNG: "The Inner Light"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Alien statue in VOY: "Time and Again"

(screen capture by Jörg)

This statue is actually anything but modern art but a replica of an ancient statue from the Cyclades (2800-2300 B.C.).

Kivas Fajo's jar Among Kivas Fajo's treasuries in TNG: "The Most Toys" there is also a striped jar with a bail, perhaps a teapot or a vase. Curiously this jar can be seen in O'Brien's and in Worf's quarters in later episodes. It is visible in Data's shelf in TNG: "Genesis" and even on Troi's table in ENT: "These Are The Voyages". Belated revenge? Anyhow, it seems like an intentional running joke that the item is passed around among the Enterprise crew, even 15 years after the original episode. Finally, it seems that the jar was passed on to Voyager.


Kivas Fajo's jar in TNG: "The Most Toys"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Kivas Fajo's jar on the Enterprise-D

(screen capture by Jörg)

In Data's quarters in TNG: "Genesis"

(screen capture by Jörg)

In Troi's quarters in ENT: "These Are The Voyages"

(screen capture by Jörg)


On Voyager in Carey's quarters in VOY: "Friendship One"

(screen capture by Jörg)

"Wall clock" A sculpture resembling a wall clock can be seen in TNG: "Unification" on Romulus. The same decoration reappears on the Arkaria Base in TNG: "Starship Mine", in Mr. Mot's salon on the Enterprise-D in TNG: "Schisms" and on two other occasions on the Enterprise, in "Violations" and in a parallel universe in TNG: "Parallels". Later on the "clock" is also visible in VOY: "Ex Post Facto" and "Jetrel".


Romulan decoration in TNG: "Unification"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Decoration on Arkaria in TNG: "Starship Mine"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Decoration in Mot's salon in TNG: "Schisms"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Decoration on Enterprise-D in TNG: "Violations"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Decoration on Enterprise-D in TNG: "Parallels"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Decoration in Neelix's quarters in VOY: "Jetrel"

(screen capture by Jörg)


Banean decoration in VOY: "Ex Post Facto"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Gong The octagonal Betazoid gong, as visible and (too often!) audible in TNG: "Haven" and "Manhunt", is essentially the same as the Taresian gong in VOY: "Favorite Son".


Betazoid gong in TNG: "Haven"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Taresian gong in VOY: "Favorite Son"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Oblong relief The same relief can be seen on Banea in "Ex Post Facto" and later as a Krenim artifact on Kyana Prime in "The Year of Hell".


Relief on Banea in VOY: "Ex Post Facto"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Krenim relief in VOY: "The Year of Hell"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Pentagonal relief This relief first appears in Mila's house on Cardassia Prime in DS9: "What You Leave Behind" and later in T'Pol's quarters in ENT: "Fusion".


Cardassian relief in DS9: "What You Leave Behind"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Vulcan relief in ENT: "Fusion"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Vulcan wall ornament An shield-like relief can be seen in Tuvok's quarters in VOY: "Meld" as well as on the Vulcan ship Vahklas in ENT: "Fusion" and in the Vulcan conference room in ENT: "Stigma". The same piece of decoration appears in ENT: "A Night in Sickbay" in the background of the Kreetassan official and on the wall at the place of Archer's strange lumberjack performance. Here the use of the shield suggests that it is not just decoration but an official Kreetassan emblem. The Vulcan script has been accordingly removed. We can see the shield one last time in the hallway of the Vulcan High Command in ENT: "Kir'Shara". The Vulcan inscription has not been restored but has been replaced with a blue light.


Vulcan ornament in VOY: "Meld"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Vulcan ornament in ENT: "Fusion"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Vulcan ornament in ENT: "Stigma"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

 

Kreetassan emblem in ENT: "A Night in Sickbay"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Kreetassan emblem in ENT: "A Night in Sickbay"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Vulcan ornament in ENT: "Kir'Shara"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Ventaxian tapestry The Ventaxian homeworld in TNG: "Devil's Due" is decorated with swiveled quadratic shapes all over, including several tapestries with this characteristic pattern. Tapestries of Ventaxian origin reappear on the Mari homeworld in VOY: "Random Thoughts" and even on Romulus in TNG: "Unification". The Ventaxian pattern can also be seen on Vulcan tapestries in ENT: "The Andorian Incident" and "Stigma".


Ventaxian tapestries in TNG: "Devil's Due"

(screen capture by Jörg)
 

Tapestry on Romulus in TNG: "Unification"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Mari Tapestry in VOY: "Random Thoughts"

(screen capture by Jörg)

Tapestry in ENT: "Stigma"

(screen capture by TrekCore)

Morn's painting It is quite common to re-use props although in their second appearance they are supposed to represent something very different. Quite the contrary happens with the painting of a matador that Morn purchases in DS9: "In the Cards". It is shown again in DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn", but while the arrangement is essentially the same, the different details reveal that is has been repainted, perhaps from scratch because the old version was not available anymore.


Morn's matador painting in DS9: "In the Cards"

(screen capture by Jörg)

The same painting in DS9: "Who Mourns for Morn"

(screen capture by Jörg)

 

Credits

Thanks go to AJ Halliwell for pointing us to the Vulcan wall decoration and to Alexander Baier, Ciarán D, Lin Jingqiu, Shawn Havery and Michael Minnick for spotting some more of the props.

 


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Last modified: 14.08.10 
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