What is it about Nymphenburg’s nubby white rhino that makes it the company’s biggest seller worldwide? It’s no beauty (in the traditional sense—though the detail in this handmade piece, first produced in about 1770, is extraordinary), and at nearly $3,500, it’s no bargain, either. Yet it’s a status symbol for those in the know. For those who are in the know but just can’t, we present an equally ferocious (if not as refined) option.
High: Nymphenburg Porcelain rhino $3,479 by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt, about 8 inches high, at Nymphenburg USA, 400 W. Erie St., 312-787-7040. (Left)
Low: Ideaco &Associates Resin rhino $45 by Ichiro Haba and Yoko Hiraguchi, about 7 inches high, available in gold, white, or black, at Sprout Home, 745 N. Damen Ave., 312-226-5950. (Right)