Here is a pic from a few decades ago. After having returned from London and Roger Rabbit (you can see the framed movie poster behind me) I am at work on The Little Mermaid, animating King Triton. And look...there is an actual maquette of the character. Ruben Procopio sculpted all of the characters for this film. And in accurate size proportions with Ariel, Ursula and the others.
Since Triton turned out to be the largest sculpt by far, I was told that he would be too expensive to get cast and reproduced. Only this original sculpture exists....somewhere. After we finished the movie I never saw the Triton maquette again.
I do own maquettes for every character I animated at Disney...except for King Triton.