This is one of those "oh come on, that's AI" moments...

Zack Cruz, one of the Archive's long-term contributors, made a post about this in August of 2026.

He's very well respected and knowledgeable about the Black Panther series, but even so I initially thought, "Really? Are you sure about this Zack?"

But then I saw that he mentioned the Smithsonian Institute, so it had to be worth a quick Google. 

And it's a real actual thing!!

This complete one-off is up there with the other legendary unique kits like the Sledgehammer. Not saying you'd sell your soul for it, but you'd definitely consider Satan taking out a time-share. And how amazing is it that a Mapex Orion is in the Smithsonian?

Unfortunately, although the museum has documented all 5 pieces of the kit, they only have online photos of the snare (which is the "standard" item), and the 16" hanging tom. It does give you an idea of what the whole kit would look like though, and also that the 14" and 16" hanging toms are probably the deepest Mapex ever made. I'll completely honest - even if they were wooden shells, that's a LOT of strain on the bracket...but they are in fact steel shells! If it was my kit, which unfortunately it never will be, I would be converting them to floor toms immediately.

Obviously, it would be fantastic to see all the pieces and ultimately to see the full kit together, as they include all the stands in their catalogue. I have emailed them to see if there is any chance at all of getting the full kit photographed, but so far I haven't had a response. I can't blame them - I'm sure they have better things to do that answer a random request from an obsessive Scottish drum geek. If they ever do get back to me though, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, if anyone has an "in" with the Smithsonian, could you put in a good word?