Review: 10368 Chrysanthemum
Posted by Huw,
Two fresh blooms will be added to the exceedingly popular botanical collection next month, including 10368 Chrysanthemum, a plant native to East Asia and one of the 'Four Gentlemen' in Chinese art.
The set features four flowers in various stages of their lifecycle, and each one exhibits nice parts usage (NPU).
Summary
10368 Chrysanthemum, 278 pieces.
£24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 | 9.0p/10.8c/10.8c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A vibrant and realistic addition to the botanical collection
- 36 bananas!
- Ingeniously designed pot
- NPU
- Priced for gifting
- Pot is perhaps a little on the small size
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Chrysanthemums have been cultivated over the centuries to bloom in just about every colour under the sun. This artificial one is exceedingly vibrant, constructed from yellow, orange and reddish orange pieces which contrast perfectly with the dark green stems and leaves, and sand green pot.
The flower head in full bloom is constructed in time-honoured fashion with the petals clipped onto octagonal parabolic rings and diameter 5 steering wheels. The petals are, as you can see, bananas, with eight yellow ones at the centre, 20 orange ones around them, and eight, appearing in reddish orange for the first time, below them.
From above, they look just like the slightly curled up petals of real flowers and are very effective.
The smaller bud also uses a pair of parabolic rings, with orange claws clipped to them to represent the young petals.
Finishing off the plant are two buds, which utilise upside-down cupcakes for the emerging flower heads.
Many of the plants in the botanical collection require something non-LEGO to display them in, such as a vase, but that's not rhe case here: a very attractive and ingeniously designed pot and stand, which incorporate several stud reversals, are provided.
Four 5x5x3 quarter-domes mounted upside-down form the bottom of the pot which has a band of drum-lacquered gold pieces around its circumference. The pot sits on top of a 'wooden' stand, which uses four brown Unikitty tails for feet.
When the set was revealed there was some criticism over the use of black Technic pieces to hold the stems together, but as was pointed out by others, they look like the thin plastic strips that are often used to do the job on real flowers.
Overall, it's a wonderfully colourful and well-designed addition to the collection, one that can be appreciated by anthophiles for its realism and AFOLs for its nice parts usage, particularly the bananas!
The pot is perhaps a little on the small side for the size of the flower, but it does its job of making the set a self-contained display model, and anything larger would of course push the price up.
The 278-piece set will be released on August 1st, priced at $29.99, £24.99, €29.99, so affordable as a gift to a loved one, or yourself.
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35 comments on this article
My Mom will love this!
Want this myself, along with the Plum Blossom to go with my Bonsai Tree and Orchid sets. May wait a bit as I can see these dropping a £5 off the price in the next few months, but I love the design and the NPU, especially with the colour grading of the Banannas.
Just one thing @Huw , Could you possibly do a picture with the other Botanical plant sets for size comparison at all?
Price seems decent enough if you want to get one. The colors are beautiful on the flower.
I'm not that impressed with the pot. Those dome parts might not have been designed for this set, but they sure are convenient for cases like this.
The orange banana(s) flower! Love the shading.
What is NPU?
@JpPhoto said:
"What is NPU?"
Nice part(s) use/usage.
Banana!
I just found these at my local Sam's Club for $22.98 each. I may build this one today.
It's a red spectrum banana tree!
On my list to get at some point, along with a lot of sets....
I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen"
@johleth said:
"I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen""
I am sure the other two are in release plan in Winter sets, right after these two are retired. Better pick them up while you can.
Beautiful and reasonably priced, instantly added to the shopping list after reveal.
@AverageChimaEnjoyer said:
"My Mom will love this!"
As will the Minions...
"The petals are, as you can see, bananas,"
And on top of that, they're literally made from banana pieces.
@karrit said:
"I just found these at my local Sam's Club for $22.98 each. I may build this one today."
Breaking the street date to sell it at over 20% off? I'll have some of whatever Sam's been taking.
I would have dropped the wooden stand.
The main bloom is superb, both shape and colour.
@Wewalter said:
" @johleth said:
"I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen""
I am sure the other two are in release plan in Winter sets, right after these two are retired. Better pick them up while you can."
Most sets don't get retired until it's at least been a year or two, I don't think you need to worry about these going away that soon.
Maybe this is worth purchasing for my mother's birthday?
This set looks quite pretty. I'm sure it would look great on display in my house.
This set looks great, the pot is definitely respectable and I personally find the wooden stand to be a nice touch.
Ooooh, that gradient work on the bananas/petals is so very satisfying
picking this up for the parts, but it is the best looking flower they've made so far IMO
@johleth said:
"I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen""
Or, better yet, a 'Lucky Bamboo' set.
Funny thing is, I associate this flower with Japan, where it represents the Emperor. It's weird finding out how much of Japenese culture got borrowed in from China.
@johleth said:
"I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen""
If you look on box cover at the small circles there are still Orchid and Bamboo to come.
Another superb, must have botanical.
They could do with adding an accessory pack of various pots and vases for all of the 'no container' botanicals.
August is looking expensive with several excellent sets in various themes (not to mention the long awaited Avro Lancaster from Cobi)!
Nearly 15% of the parts in this set are bananas!!
That’s nothing short of ….. bananas!
I’ll show myself out …..
Great review and nicely designed set, but in Brazil chrysanthemums are associated with death and are normally used only on graves - particularly when visiting cemeteries during All Souls' Day - and funerals. At least here, it wouldn't be a good gift to a loved one.
@lemish34 said:
"Nearly 15% of the parts in this set are bananas!!
That’s nothing short of ….. bananas!
I’ll show myself out ….."
You don't think your joke was... a-peeling?
@AllanSmith said:
" @johleth said:
"I wonder if they will do a bamboo set, so they gave have all four of the "Four Gentlemen""
If you look on box cover at the small circles there are still Orchid and Bamboo to come."
There already is an orchid set (10311), but I suspect they'll do a second version to capitalize on that new logo. The other orchid is two years old at this point, so it would be unrealistic to expect it to stay available as long as these newer sets.
I liked the other flower sets too, but this one takes the cake for now. I'm gonna get it.
@DFX said:
"Great review and nicely designed set, but in Brazil chrysanthemums are associated with death and are normally used only on graves - particularly when visiting cemeteries during All Souls' Day - and funerals. At least here, it wouldn't be a good gift to a loved one."
I think that's the case in most (once) predominantly Catholic countries.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is their exclusive use today,
as I don't think a lot of younger people still associate it with that custom.
After all, it is also just a nice looking flower and a great looking set....
@Lego_lord said:
"I liked the other flower sets too, but this one takes the cake for now. I'm gonna get it."
Would the cake you mentioned be banana-flavored?
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Lego_lord said:
"I liked the other flower sets too, but this one takes the cake for now. I'm gonna get it."
Would the cake you mentioned be banana-flavored?"
Oh Yes :))