The elaborate Chinese dragon head that crowned the “Arc of History” has gone the way of its notorious predecessor, the dinosaur head.

On Friday afternoon, Durango Police Lt. Ray Shupe confirmed that the dragon head was in police custody.

The dragon head’s demise was quick and, in the end, without international incident. It debuted Thursday – in time for Chinese New Year – atop the “Arc of History,” a $28,000 public artwork installed at the DoubleTree Hotel intersection last summer.

Barely 24 hours later, harsh winds toppled it Friday morning, sparing the city of Durango the burden of removing it – a course of action that might have sullied Durango in the eyes of China.

Shupe said that at 11:45 a.m., a passer-by called dispatch about the decapitated dragon head, which was lolling around in the breeze-battered median of the U.S. Highway 550/160 intersection, threatening to tumble into oncoming traffic or seduce opportunistic motorists – bent on its capture – into dangerous driving.

Police agreed that no one should chase the dragon head, and a city code enforcement officer who was in the area soon retrieved it.

By noon Friday, the “Arc of History” had reverted back to its usual headless form, which some Durango residents describe as “rock banana.”

The dragon head’s outing atop the “Arc of History” was brief and probably illegal. Still, many Durango residents saw beauty in the beast.

On the Herald’s website, Durango Mayor Sweetie Marbury said, “I love the dragon head. It looks terrific so says the Mayor.”

Meanwhile, Melinda Ice commented, “I seriously doubt that the removal of that head will affect any relations with China. ... That being said, it actually DOES enhance the looks of that hideous waste of taxpayers’ money that they call art.”

Shupe said the “Arc of History” emerged from its day with the dragon head unscathed – a perhaps ironic reminder that when it comes to aesthetic justice, the arc of history may bend, but it will not break.

He said the slain dragon head was in “fair condition” after its fall and hasn’t been charged with anything. He said police aren’t going to fingerprint the dragon head in order to discover who placed it atop the “Arc of History” since the police are treating it like “found property.”

He denied that police had locked the dragon head in a dungeon, saying DPD’s evidence room is “just a secured storage area for property that comes into the police department.”

He said if no one comes forward to claim the dragon head, it will be destroyed. Asked whether police would set it afire, Shupe said, “No. It will probably get thrown out.”

cmcallister@durangoherald.com