Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Companion (Five Years Later) — Glow-in-the-Dark
Work Summary & Collector Notes
The glow-in-the-dark Companion (Five Years Later) is a 2004 Medicom Toy vinyl figure, roughly 15 inches tall, from the same release that introduced KAWS's dissected Companion — half the body intact, half cut away to show a stylized skull, ribs, and organs. This variant casts the figure in phosphorescent vinyl: the body charges under light and glows in darkness, with this version's exposed anatomy and eyes rendered in a blue tone (green-eye GID variants also exist). Like the brown and black versions, it was a limited Medicom production run — commonly cited at around 500 pieces per GID colorway — with stamped MEDICOM TOY 2004 and KAWS copyright markings on the underside of the feet. Figures are unnumbered.
Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Limited; 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
Glow-in-the-dark treatments became a recurring KAWS signature — later Companions, BFFs, and collaboration pieces all revisit it — and the Five Years Later GID figures are where that material language entered his catalog, layered onto the equally foundational dissection concept. As 2004 Medicom productions, they predate KAWSONE entirely and belong to the scarce Japanese era of KAWS collecting. Among Five Years Later variants, the GID versions are the ones early collectors chase hardest.
Collector Perspective
This is a thin, high-variance market: WorthPoint records only 3 sales, with a median of $355 and a range from $12.34 to $2,400 — the most recent in June 2026. Three data points do not establish a price; the $2,400 result is consistent with what verified, complete examples of 2004 GID figures command, while the low outlier almost certainly reflects a miniature, a damaged lot, or a fake. Scarcity cuts both ways here — genuine examples surface rarely, and when they do, authentication carries most of the value.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned sculpture / object
- Release date
- 2004
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Vinyl Figure.
- Edition details
- Legacy catalog label: Limited; 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: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2004.
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.
FAQ
What does the glow-in-the-dark Five Years Later Companion depict?
KAWS's Companion with one side of its body dissected to expose stylized anatomy, cast in phosphorescent vinyl that glows after light exposure. This variant carries blue-toned detailing on the exposed side and eyes.
What is the edition size?
It was a limited 2004 Medicom Toy production, commonly cited at around 500 pieces per glow-in-the-dark colorway, and the figures are unnumbered. Blue-eye and green-eye GID variants exist within the release.
Is it signed by KAWS?
No, the figures were not individually signed. Authenticity rests on the stamped underside markings — MEDICOM TOY 2004 CHINA with the KAWS copyright — along with the original box when present.
How risky is buying this figure?
Riskier than most KAWS vinyl. It is a 20-plus-year-old, frequently faked figure that trades so rarely there is no settled price reference — our data shows just three recorded sales spanning $12 to $2,400. Buy only with documented provenance from a trusted dealer.
Does the glow effect degrade over time?
Phosphorescent vinyl can weaken with prolonged UV exposure, and two decades of display affect examples unevenly. Figures stored boxed and away from sunlight retain the strongest glow, which is one reason complete boxed examples command the premium they do.
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