Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Deep Space Nine: Ferengi Tongo Wheel


I know this is not a Ferengi costume, but it is a great piece of Ferengi gaming culture:

This is the actual Tongo Wheel seen in Deep Space Nine.  



We first find the game in the season 5 episode 'Business As Usual' where Dax and Quark are playing while Gaila tells Quark of the benefits of selling weapons.

Later, we find it in the season 5 episode 'Ferengi Love Songs'  where Quark discovers his mother has been seeing Grand Nagus Zek, and they are in love. Seeing this, Brunt hatches a plan to become Nagus with the help of an unknowing Quark

Again, this table gets more action in season 6 with Dax and Quark playing in 'Who Mourns For Morn?' where Morn fakes his own death to smoke out his former partners in crime, with the intent to have them removed by Quark.

The final time we see this Tongo Wheel is in season 6 where we see O'brien and Bashir learning the game in 'Change Of Heart'


Interesting fact:  This Tongo Wheel was seen in numerous touring Star Trek displays around the world and has remained in great condition.  I had an opportunity to buy it directly from CBS (and tried), but at the last moment CBS backed out.  Bummer!  It eventually came to auction and I made sure to acquire it then.  It is a fantastic piece and I am very proud to own it.