Which signature or marks are documented?

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. 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.

Is original packaging or presentation documented?

Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.

How certain are the release details?

The year, edition, dimensions, and medium come from a saved secondary catalog record. Artist-level context is added from general references, but not every release-level field is independently confirmed.

Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index

Passing Through — Black

KAWS · 2013 · Vinyl Figure

Year2013

MediumVinyl Figure

ColorwayBlack

EditionLimited

Height12 in

ProducerOriginalFake

EraCompanion and Fine Art Era

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Passing Through is a roughly 12-inch vinyl figure released in 2013 through OriginalFake, the brand KAWS ran with Medicom Toy until it closed that same year. It depicts Companion seated on the ground, elbows on knees, both hands covering its face — the dejected gesture KAWS first presented as a monumental sculpture that debuted at Harbour City, Hong Kong in 2010 and later traveled to museum shows. The black colorway renders the entire figure in matte black with subtle tonal detailing. This 2013 OriginalFake release predates, and should not be confused with, the smaller 8-inch open edition version KAWS reissued through KAWSONE in 2018; the earlier figure is larger and scarcer.

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

Passing Through is one of the defining images of KAWS's career — the pose that moved Companion from toy shelves into museum courtyards and established the character as a vehicle for genuine pathos. The 2013 vinyl is also a late OriginalFake artifact: the brand shut down in mid-2013, closing the era that produced KAWS's most sought-after early figures. Owning the 12-inch version means owning the pose at its first collectible scale, from the company that built KAWS's toy legacy.

Collector Perspective

Verified 2013 examples with the OriginalFake box command the top of the range; ambiguous or loose figures settle far lower. Measuring the figure and checking the box branding is the single most valuable step before buying.

Documented Release Details

Object type: Editioned sculpture / object
Release date: 2013
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 2013.

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 Passing Through figure depict?

It depicts Companion seated with its face buried in its hands — a gesture of grief or exhaustion. KAWS introduced the pose as a monumental sculpture at Harbour City, Hong Kong in 2010, and the vinyl figure brings that composition down to shelf scale.

What is the edition size of Passing Through (2013)?

The 2013 OriginalFake release was a limited production run, but KAWS and Medicom never published a quantity and the figures are not individually numbered. Scarcity comes from the short window before OriginalFake closed in 2013, not from a stated edition count.

Is Passing Through signed by KAWS?

No. Production vinyl figures from OriginalFake are not individually signed. Authenticity rests on the molded KAWS and OriginalFake markings and the original packaging. Signed examples exist only where KAWS signed a piece separately, which requires its own documentation.

How do I authenticate a Passing Through figure?

First confirm which version you are looking at: the 2013 OriginalFake figure is about 12 inches tall, while the 2018 KAWSONE open edition is 8 inches. Then check the copyright stampings, seam quality, and box branding. Fakes and mislabeled reissues are both common, so buy from a dealer who identifies the version explicitly and guarantees it.

What is the difference between the 2013 and 2018 Passing Through releases?

The 2013 figure is the scarcer and generally more valuable of the two, which is exactly why sellers sometimes blur the distinction.