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Sideshow's "Temple of Doom" Chalice of Kali Prop Replica
Gruesome collectible brings the Black Sleep of Kali Ma to your home...
Sideshow's "Temple of Doom" Chalice of Kali Prop Replica is IN-STOCK priced at $199.99. FLEXPay is available as a payment option.
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When it comes to screen-accurate figures and prop replicas, nobody does it like Sideshow. One of their coolest film franchise lines is Indiana Jones, ranging from 12 inch figures to Premium Format Figures, polystone dioramas, apparel items, and more. And it’s not just Indy himself who gets love from Sideshow, but some of the more interesting and unique characters and items from that world. Even among those one stands above the rest in its sheer distinctiveness and the guaranteed conversations it’ll start in your home. Straight out of one of the most memorable scenes in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is the Chalice of Kali!
In the second film, Indiana Jones and his companions travel to far-flung India, encountering a mysterious and villainous cult of Kali. At one point Mola Ram, the cult’s evil leader, captures Indy and forces him to drink a mystical potion that puts him under the madman’s sway. Called the “Black Sleep of Kali Ma,” the vile concoction is served in a vessel that’s even more disgusting - a chalice made from a human head! No mere cleaned skull, the chalice still bears plenty of rotting flesh and a few broken teeth.
The Chalice of Kali comes to you in a large box that’s everything you’d expect from Sideshow. Over two feet tall, the box is covered by a cool background pattern replicating the iconic map travel sequences from the films with traditional-looking ancient borders. All of that is done in a deep red which really makes the overlaid graphics pop. The front panel is very simple, with the Indiana Jones logo at the top, a huge photo of the Chalice replica in the center, and its name at the bottom (along with the Sideshow logo). The side panels offer profile photos of the Chalice so even without opening the box you can see it from every angle except the back. The box’s back panel repeats what’s on the front but adds a lengthy description of the film and Chalice as well as screenshots from the movie. As always, Sideshow provides you with a great box that’s displayable all on its own.
The Chalice of Kali prop replica is, frankly, not for everyone. It’s really gruesome and eye-catching, accurately recreating the horrific drinking vessel from the film. Flesh drips off the skull, revealing the pitted skull beneath. The face is drawn and desiccated with an incredible sculpt that shows off skin, muscle, tendon, and more. The head is hairless, which somehow adds to its horror factor. One eye has been removed leaving a puckered scar behind, while the other droops and stares blindly with a milky quality. The large nose is mostly intact while the lips are completely gone. The left side of the face has especially gruesome strands of flesh attached to cheekbone structures, leaving horrible holes where the interior has decomposed. From the wreckage of the mouth a handful of yellow teeth protrude with gaps on both the top and bottom rows. The skull is mounted on a heavy goblet that looks like beaten gold, and it’s embellished with a tiny devilish face on the front and a decorative spiral hook on the back. From within the mouth hangs a smooth golden “tongue” that’s stained with dregs from the potion.
Where once the skull had a healthy skin tone, the resulting wreckage has a grayish-green hue with splotches of yellow. The brightness and uniformity of the gold base really serves to heighten the shock of seeing a decomposed head, while the huge holes in the rotting flesh on the top of reveal the sickly greenish-yellow of the skull itself. Individually painted and finished, the Chalice weighs in at a hefty seven pounds and feels completely solid. The underside of the base has a cool skull logo with the Indiana Jones title and Chalice of Kali along with its unique number (out of 650).
There’s no question that the Chalice of Kali is an incredibly well made prop replica with a highly detailed sculpt. If you’re a hardcore Indiana Jones fan you’re going to love the fine attention to detail and care Sideshow has put into the Chalice, making it a worthy centerpiece in your collection. Collectors of horror-themed memorabilia and the macabre will also get a huge kick out of the Chalice. As noted on the Sideshow site, the replica is not functional; you cannot put liquid into it nor pour anything out so don’t plan on using it at your next sacrificial event. If you appreciate the Chalice for what it is, though, that’s probably not going to be a major deterrent, though for the more casual fan that might make a difference considering the item’s cost. At about $200 it’s not the most expensive prop replica out there, and if you’re brave enough to bring it into your house the Chalice of Kali will make one hell of a conversation piece!
Sideshow's "Temple of Doom" Chalice of Kali Prop Replica is IN-STOCK priced at $199.99. FLEXPay is available as a payment option.
Review and Photos by Scott Rubin
Review Sample Courtesy of Sideshow Collectibles
