Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Cat Teeth Bank (Blue)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
A functional coin-bank object in a blue colorway, shaped as a cat figure bristling with teeth, rendered in KAWS's playful-yet-unsettling cartoon idiom. The Cat Teeth Bank belongs to the strand of KAWS's output where the collectible doubles as a usable object, here a money bank, while still carrying his characteristic mischief and slightly menacing humor. The bared-teeth motif echoes the toothy, monster-like creatures that recur across his early designer-toy work, marrying everyday utility with the unmistakable KAWS sensibility.
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
KAWS's functional objects extend his practice into daily life, turning a humble item like a coin bank into a desirable art collectible. This reflects a core part of his appeal: the refusal to keep art separate from ordinary consumer goods, a stance inherited from his graffiti and advertising-intervention roots and amplified through his toy and product collaborations. The toothy, faintly menacing character connects to the monster and creature imagery that runs through his designer-toy lineage, where cuteness and unease coexist. Pieces like the Cat Teeth Bank matter because they show the breadth of KAWS's object-making, from fine-art editions down to accessibly priced household curiosities, all stamped with the same recognizable hand. For collectors, they offer an affordable, characterful way into the KAWS world and document the everyday end of a practice that also produces monumental sculpture, underscoring how thoroughly KAWS embedded his aesthetic across the full spectrum of objects.
Collector Perspective
This appeals to collectors who enjoy KAWS's quirkier, functional pieces and to budget-minded buyers wanting an authentic, characterful object. The blue colorway and toothy design give it strong shelf appeal and a sense of humor that lightens a collection dominated by somber Companion imagery. Within a KAWS collection it plays a fun supporting role, broadening the range of forms beyond figures and prints. As a usable object its condition, intact teeth, unscuffed finish, and original packaging, is especially important to value, and colorway preferences influence desirability among collectors.
Historical Context
The Cat Teeth Bank fits KAWS's toy-and-object era, an outgrowth of the designer-toy culture he helped define in Japan and through Original Fake. Functional collectibles like this sit alongside his vinyl figures as part of the populist, product-driven strand of his career, the accessible end that ran parallel to his ascent into fine art. The toothy creature imagery links back to the monster motifs of his earlier toy work, situating the piece within his playful, character-driven output.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2007
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Plush and Object
- 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 KAWS'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 Cat Teeth Bank fits KAWS's toy-and-object era, an outgrowth of the designer-toy culture he helped define in Japan and through Original Fake. 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 2007. It is grouped under Plush and Object in the saved record.
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
- KAWSONE — official site — KAWS studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- KAWS — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- KAWS (Q3194367) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
Market Context
- Estimated value. The median of recorded public sale prices for this piece, matched by title and colorway. We use the median (not the average) because it resists outliers.
- Min / max sale. The lowest and highest individual recorded sale prices; the range shows dispersion, not a guaranteed band.
- Recorded comps. The number of independent comparable sales; reliability rises with sample size (1–2 sales are indicative only).
- Liquidity & sales volume. Our liquidity rating reflects sales velocity — the number of recorded comparable sales and how recent the latest sale is. More frequent and more recent sales rate as more liquid (Highly Liquid → Liquid → Moderate → Thin → Very Thin); a piece with no recorded public sales is Extremely Rare.
- Indicative estimate. Where recorded sales are very limited (1–2), the figure is treated as indicative only — not a firm market value; a single sale can move it materially.
- Estimate confidence. A traffic-light read on how well the data supports the estimate: green high, yellow medium, red low / indicative.
- Data source & currency. Compiled from recorded public marketplace and auction sales of US$200 or more, in US dollars, as of the latest recorded sale shown. Coverage is not exhaustive.
- Not financial or investment advice. For collector reference only — not an appraisal, offer, or guarantee of resale value. Art is volatile and illiquid; do your own research. Use is subject to our Terms & Conditions.
FAQ
Is the Cat Teeth Bank a usable object?
Yes, it is a functional coin bank as well as a collectible, exemplifying KAWS's practice of turning everyday objects into desirable art pieces.
What is with the teeth?
The bared-teeth design reflects the playful-yet-menacing creature imagery that recurs across KAWS's early designer-toy work, blending cuteness and unease.
Is this an accessible KAWS collectible?
Yes, functional objects like this are typically among the more affordable authentic KAWS items, ideal for newer or completist collectors.
Does the colorway affect value?
Color variants influence collector preference; the blue version is one of several, and overall condition remains the primary value driver.
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