Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Small Lie — Grey
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Small Lie (Grey) is a 2017 open edition vinyl released through KAWS's KAWSONE webshop in December 2017 at $220 retail. Standing 11 inches tall, it depicts a Companion with an elongated, Pinocchio-like nose, head bowed and shoulders slumped in a posture of shame — and, unusually for the Companion series, wearing sculpted overalls. The grey colorway renders the figure in layered greys with black accents at the X eyes and hands. The composition derives from KAWS's monumental African hardwood sculpture of the same name, shown at roughly 10 meters tall at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2016. It released in three colorways — black, grey, and brown — as an unnumbered open edition.
Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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
Small Lie is one of the most emotionally legible objects KAWS has produced: the Pinocchio nose and hung head turn the Companion into a figure caught in its own dishonesty, borrowing a childhood story to stage adult guilt. It is also a design outlier — the overalls and the absence of any flayed variant set it apart from the standard Companion open editions. The Yorkshire Sculpture Park lineage gives the vinyl the same monument-to-shelf pedigree as Along the Way.
Collector Perspective
Our dataset shows 60 recorded resales for the grey Small Lie with a median around $300 — a modest premium over its $220 retail, and the most affordable entry point among the named sculptures covered here. The range runs from $129.99 to $950: loose examples anchor the bottom, while sealed pieces and demand spikes account for the top. Trading is steady rather than hot, with the latest recorded sale in January 2026. Demand comes from collectors drawn to the figure's narrative sculpt and from those completing the 2017–2020 named-sculpture run in grey.
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
- Vinyl Figure.
- Edition details
- Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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 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
- 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.
- 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
What does Small Lie depict?
A Companion figure with a long Pinocchio-style nose, head bowed and shoulders slumped, wearing overalls. The pose and nose stage the character as caught in a lie — one of KAWS's most direct narrative sculpts.
What is the edition size of Small Lie (Grey)?
It is an unnumbered open edition released in December 2017. KAWS never disclosed the production quantity, and the figures carry no edition numbers.
Is Small Lie signed by KAWS?
No. Open edition vinyls are not individually signed. Authentic examples are identified by molded copyright and production markings on the underside of the feet.
How common are fakes of this figure?
Common — Small Lie's popularity and lower price point make it a frequent counterfeit target. Verify the foot stamps, the paint edges on the overalls and eyes, and the box printing, or buy from a trusted dealer who guarantees authenticity.
What is the connection to Yorkshire Sculpture Park?
KAWS exhibited a monumental African hardwood version of Small Lie, roughly 10 meters tall, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in the UK in 2016. The 2017 vinyl translates that sculpture to an 11-inch collectible scale.
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