As 2011 winds to a close, we thought kick off a new feature called Art Asylum Archives. In it, we show off a toy from the design studio’s fabled history, and for the first entry we thought we’d go back a full decade to the release of the first (and only) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon figures.

At the 2001 New York Toy Fair, Art Asylum showed off a series of figures based on the recently released Ang Lee film, and the overall quality of the line (paired with elaborate bases and some great packaging design) was a sign of what was to come from the company in subsequent years. The 7-inch scale figures were available with and without their elaborate bases, and most were highly poseable, although the line offered a more statuesque take on the bandit Lo. Soft rubber costume pieces allowed for a wide range of movement, a necessity when paired with the interchangeable hands that gave the characters various martial arts moves, as well as Green Destiny-holding options. Ten years later, no other toy company has tackled the film that revived Asian cinema in America, but fans who loved the movie can still track down the Art Asylum figures online, along with their cute Minimate counterparts, which debuted the following year. Happy hunting!

Next time on the AAA: Dark Angel!