This television prop is a "tribble," a fictional alien creature featured in the episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" in the "Star Trek" TV show, which aired on NBC from 1966-1969. A tribble was a living furry creature on Space Station K-7. They did nothing but eat and multiply. Eventually, tribbles are found aboard the Spaceship Enterprise and created an enormous problem by over-multiplying.
The popularity of this episode led the writer, David Gerrold, to produce the book of the same title, "The Trouble With Tribbles," published by Ballantyne as a paperback in 1973, in which tribbles threaten to overun the entire galaxy. The episode also led to a variety of tribble merchandise and their own cult following almost as big as the show itself.
Paramount gave this prop to the Museum in 1973.
Display Status
This object is on display in Kenneth C. Griffin Exploring the Planets Gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Manufacturer
Paramount Pictures Corporation
Dimensions
3-D: 9.5 × 7.6 × 5.1cm, 0.2kg (3 3/4 × 3 × 2 in., 0.4lb.)
Materials
material appears to be a synthetic, acrylic, dyed brown
Inventory Number
A19850355000
Credit Line
Paramount Pictures Corp.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.