If you’re like me and take a lot of pride in being a perfectionist, you’ll already know the struggle of chasing down Redd to buy art and complete your museum in Animal Crossing. But even when this sly fox swings by, art sales aren’t as smooth as they should be. Redd is a very sneaky character within the Animal Crossing franchise, armed with a selection of counterfeit money-makers, but that doesn’t make him any less charming.
With forty-three pieces of art going into the museum in New Horizons alone, you want to make sure you’re buying a genuine piece to save the bells. But sometimes, these fakes are much easier to spot than others. For example, among these history-rich artworks lay a selection of statues, which are much harder to tell apart from their fakes than your bog-standard paintings.
The Ancient Statue, one of thirteen statues available for purchase, has been arguably my least favorite statue to locate since it arrived in Animal Crossing New Leaf, and there are several reasons as to why. But this guide will provide you with the ins and outs of its appearance, history, and imitations, so you know what to look out for and don’t get caught with a fake by Blathers.
How do I Buy Art and Statues?
There are two ways to buy art and statues in Animal Crossing New Horizons. Firstly, you need to make sure you’ve spoken to Redd on your island, as this triggers him to start using the secret beach as a dock for the Treasure Trawler. When Redd was introduced to New Horizons, I had horrible luck regarding his visits, and it felt like months would pass before I got to buy any art. But with several updates following his debut, he seems much more reliable now.
The best way to check if he’s visiting is to locate your secret beach on the map and look for the ginkgo leaf logo. As this is the logo Redd has on his apron, it’s the logo they use to signify his presence on the island. Unfortunately, as much as I love Isabelle, her morning announcements tend to miss NPC visits more often than not. So it’s best if you just make sure you’re keeping an eye out in case you miss any prime visits.
Once Redd starts docking at your island, all you have to do is enter his ship, and you’ll be able to purchase one piece of art per visit. Of course, these pieces change every time Redd pays a visit, but as your collection of art increases, the likeness of him having repeat products increases. Luckily, there is another location where Redd is guaranteed to set up shop every day, which makes the chances of finding something you don’t have more likely.
Redd on Harv’s Island
In the 2.0 Update, all NPC vendors moved to Harv’s island, making them much more accessible than waiting to rock up on your island randomly. As someone who always has poor luck with anything vaguely randomized, having the ability to visit Harv’s island took a massive weight off my shoulders.
To unlock Redd’s stall on Harv’s island, you’ll need to head east of the island and find the spot Lloid states is reserved for a “legitimate art dealer.” After paying a hefty fine of 100’000 bells to get him set up, which I think is a bigger scam than his paintings, he will begin to stock art on Harv’s island daily. On the days he’s not stocked at Harv’s, he’s probably roaming around your island. But at least this one-stop-shop makes it easier to tell when he is visiting!
On Harv’s island, Redd will stock two pieces of art at a time, which change daily. It’s similar to how the Treasure Trawler looks, but without the extra furniture sales. In addition, if you make a purchase, the art will be posted to you similarly rather than going straight into your pocket. As much as I find this element frustrating, I’d want to create a cushion of delay if I was selling counterfeit art too!
What is the Ancient Statue?
The Ancient Statue is one of thirteen statues you can donate to the museum in Animal Crossing and, admittedly, the only one which keeps me up at night. It’s got an incredibly haunting, slightly humanoid design and is allegedly one of the only haunted pieces of art in the franchise.
Much like many of the statues within the game, the Ancient Statue made its chilling debut into the franchise in New Leaf and has been highly praised enough to stick around in New Horizons. Additionally, it is available in Happy Home Designer through the Happy Home Handbook.
Should you want to add this statue to your collection, even though I really can’t see why you would, it’ll set you back 3’920 bells in New Leaf or an even more expensive 4’980 bells in New Horizons.
Should you donate this piece to the museum, the description will read:
- Jōmon Period “Dogū” Figurine Shakōki-dogū
- Artist Unknown, 1000-400 BCE
- Fired pottery
A mysterious, riveting doll made from kneaded, unglazed dirt during the Jōmon period. Its large round eyes resemble goggles that intercept light, so its name should come as no surprise. “Shakōki” means “light-intercepting goggles,” and a dogū is a small animal figurine.
How Will I Know if it’s Fake?
I tend to find counterfeit statues much harder to identify than fake paintings, especially those as detailed as the Ancient Statue. But luckily, there are a few things to look out for across the board. Additionally, it’s much easier to spot counterfeit pieces in New Horizons than in New Leaf due to the newly introduced close-inspection mechanic. In New Leaf, you either had to know what you were looking for in a fake or trust your gut. I’m sure you can imagine how many bells I lost because of this!
The changes on a counterfeit piece of art in Animal Crossing will always be incredibly subtle, but if you’re lucky to know the original’s ins and outs, they may be slightly easier to bust. Of course, it didn’t help in New Leaf that statues took on more of a glossy, smooth appearance than in New Horizons.
How to Spot a Fake Ancient Statue in New Leaf
If you’re questioning the authenticity of the Ancient Statue in New Leaf, the difference will be in the eyes of the statue. While the authentic statue has its eyes fully sealed, the counterfeit piece will have its eyes half open.
Due to the grey coloring of the piece paired with the already smooth graphics of New Leaf, it can be incredibly challenging to spot this difference, but looking for a slightly darker pupil-shaped patch toward the center of the statue’s eyes is a great place to start.
Usually, statues in New Leaf will receive an extra element, such as an accessory like a necklace, but in the case of the Ancient Statue, I’d argue that it’s one of the hardest fakes to spot.
How to Spot a Fake Ancient Statue in New Horizons
In New Horizons, the fake Ancient Statue is much easier to spot than the original. Although, this is expected due to the cleaner visuals and the addition of the inspection tool. I honestly don’t think I would be brave enough to purchase any art in New Horizons without this tool. Although saying that, the addition to the Ancient Statue to mark a counterfeit is far more evident than its previous in New Leaf.
To see if Redd is shifting a fake piece of art, the only thing to look out for is a pair of antennae at the top of the head of the statue. These two antennae have made me feel infinitely more comfortable about this statue due to how much they make it look like a little robot rather than a horrifying possessed piece of clay.
Aside from this, there are no visible differences in terms of fake vs. authentic – but if you are unfortunate enough to purchase a fake Ancient Statue, then it has some relatively peculiar characteristics, which Redd conveniently forgets to tell you once the bells have left your account.
Is the Ancient Statue Haunted?
Interestingly, this piece is one of the only statues which possesses a ‘haunted form’ if a fake is purchased. Five works of art are supposedly haunted within New Horizons and New Leaf, which may be one of the reasons I feel so unsettled around this one. It’s important to note that only fake pieces of art will show any signs of being haunted, so if you’re still unsure and Blathers hasn’t told you yet, this is a great tell-tale sign. If the player interacts with the fake Ancient Statue at night, its eyes will glow blue, and the statue will begin to float.
As someone who appreciates how stress-free and wholesome Animal Crossing is, finding this feature out had me taking a few days off playing to recover. The other four statues with a ‘haunted fake form’ are the Graceful Painting, the Informative Statue, the Scary Painting, and the Wistful Painting. I can just about handle Halloween in Animal Crossing, let alone a horde of haunted paintings on my island!
The Real World History of the Ancient Statue
Much like the rest of the art in Animal Crossing, the Ancient Statue is based on a genuine piece of artwork. This statue is based on Dogū statues, created during the Jōmon period. They took the form of small humanoid or animal figurines and were said to destroy misfortune and illness within a home. Additionally, many discovered Dogū statues are reportedly based on female goddesses, so they’ve also been linked to fertility.
One element of their history that I find particularly interesting is the difference in detail on the body of the Dogū depending on where they were made. For example, three noted forms of the Dogū statue are the Heart-Shaped Eyebrow, the Horned-Owl Type, and the Goggle-Eyed type, which inspired the Animal Crossing equivalent. Unfortunately, the statues being made before 400 BC make it rare to find one fully intact. As a result, most statues uncovered have been missing arms, legs, or other body parts.
However, the complete statue stands between 10-30cm tall, which is undermined in Animal Crossing as the statues are the same height as your character. I feel like I would be able to appreciate the ancient statues much more if they were the same size as a Gyroid rather than a terracotta human-size. If you’re keen to see one in real life, half of a Dogū statue is displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
FAQs
Question: Can I Sell a Fake Statue?
Answer: Unfortunately, you cannot sell fake art once you have purchased it. I know it’s frustrating, but the best thing you can do with a counterfeit piece is use it to decorate your home or island. But if you end up with a fake Ancient Statue and don’t want to face the burden of potentially having a haunted piece, I’d recommend gifting it to a villager. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it nonetheless!
Question: How Many Pieces of Art can I buy a Day?
Answer: On Harv’s island and aboard the Treasure Trawler, you can only buy one piece of art daily. Overnight, Redd will package up the piece and post it to you for the next day. I find this incredibly frustrating, and it’s taken me such a long time to flesh out the content of my museum because of it. If you could buy more than one piece of art daily, I think it would hugely lessen the odds of buying a fake. So maybe it’s just a ploy to get Redd more money!
Question: How do I get to Harv’s Island?
Answer: Harv’s Island can be accessed via the airport, similarly to using a Nook Miles Ticket and island hopping for a new islander. If you don’t get the option o visit Harv’s island, make sure you’ve found him wandering on your island and have spoken to him first. Harv will randomly visit your island once you’ve had three islanders move in. After your first chat, he will give you a call and invite you to his island, which is where you can start unlocking the incredible shopping district!
Summary
Even though I’ve never had good luck with paintings and statues, I can’t help but find them absolutely fascinating. I adore everything the museum offers, even if it leaves me with ghost-filled statues and a hole in my wallet, thanks to Redd. The Ancient Statue, in particular, has an incredibly interesting, rich history in Japanese culture – especially with all the spiritual meanings behind each design.
So despite my distaste toward buying the Ancient Statue, it’s a piece I’m still waiting to add to my collection. Although now I know a little more about the history and reasoning behind its unsettling humanoid appearance, maybe I’ll give it more of my attention next time I visit Redd.
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