Gauntlet Gallery — Banksy Prints
Bomb Hugger Figure (Original Colour)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
A monochrome vinyl/resin figure depicting Banksy's "Bomb Hugger" motif in three dimensions: a young girl with a ponytail, dressed in a t-shirt, skirt, leggings and trainers, tenderly cradling a large aerial bomb as though embracing a friend or pet. It translates one of Banksy's most recognizable anti-war stencil images (also known as "Bomb Love" / "Bomb Middle England," c. 2003) into a collectible sculptural object.
Collector notes: Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The Bomb Hugger is among Banksy's signature anti-war statements, collapsing innocence and atrocity into a single image: a child showing affection toward an instrument of mass killing. The juxtaposition forces the viewer to confront how violence is normalized and even embraced by ordinary society. As a freestanding figure rather than a flat print, this version makes that uneasy intimacy physical and inescapable, extending an image born in the era of the Iraq War into a three-dimensional collectible.
Collector Perspective
As a manufactured figure rather than a hand-pulled, signed Pictures on Walls screenprint, this object sits in a different collecting lane than Banksy's blue-chip editioned prints. Vinyl/resin Bomb Hugger figures are typically produced as licensed or unofficial collectibles and generally carry no artist signature, no POW provenance, and no individual edition numbering, which caps their value relative to authenticated paper works. They appeal mainly to thematic and display-oriented collectors who want the iconic image in sculptural form. Buyers should verify the specific maker and confirm whether any piece is officially sanctioned before paying a premium; documentation here matters more than usual.
Historical Context
The Bomb Hugger image emerged around 2003, against the backdrop of the Iraq War and intense anti-war sentiment in Britain, and became one of Banksy's defining pacifist images alongside works such as Napalm and Happy Choppers. The girl-and-bomb pairing distills his recurring strategy of placing children beside weapons to expose the absurdity and horror of state violence. This figure, dated 2017, is a later object-form interpretation that carries that early-2000s protest image into the collectible market of the Contemporary era.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned sculpture / object
- Release date
- 2017
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Medium and materials were not documented in the saved record.
- Edition details
- Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Banksy's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: The Bomb Hugger image emerged around 2003, against the backdrop of the Iraq War and intense anti-war sentiment in Britain, and became one of Banksy's defining pacifist images alongside works such as Napalm and Happy Choppers. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2017.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to the release source named in the saved record. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Banksy — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Banksy (Q133600) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What does the Bomb Hugger Figure depict?
A young girl with a ponytail, wearing a t-shirt, skirt, leggings and trainers, lovingly hugging a large aerial bomb as if it were a friend or pet. It is the three-dimensional version of Banksy's well-known Bomb Hugger (Bomb Love) anti-war image.
Is this a signed Banksy?
No. As a vinyl/resin figure rather than a hand-pulled print, it is unsigned and carries no artist signature.
What is the edition size?
The edition size is not documented for this figure. Unlike Banksy's numbered Pictures on Walls prints, object versions like this are typically produced without individual edition numbering.
What is it made of?
The exact medium is not specified, but it presents as a molded vinyl or resin sculptural figure finished in Banksy's signature black-and-white palette.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is the anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour, and anti-war, anti-establishment imagery, along with high-profile stunts like the self-shredding Girl with Balloon.
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