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?

The saved release description references: Figures can stand on their own for display and come packaged in a printed cardboard box that coordinates with the color of the figure. Confirm any original sleeve, tube, box, or backing board copy by copy.

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 — Takashi Murakami Print Index

DOB-Kun (Fuchsia)

Takashi Murakami · 2019 · Vinyl Toy

Year2019

MediumVinyl Toy

EditionDark Blue

Dimensions9 x 7 x 4 inches

Retail (MSRP)USD $650.00

PublisherMoMA

EraSuperflat & Character

Collector7/10

Visual8/10

Historical8/10

ScarcityScarce

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Released in 2019 as a MoMA exclusive, this fuchsia vinyl edition of DOB-Kun renders Takashi Murakami's signature character in three dimensions. Standing roughly 9 x 7 x 4 inches, the figure spells the character's name across his rounded ears and grinning face. It translates Mr. DOB, first prominent in the 1996 painting 727, into a collectible object born of museum retail.

Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Dark Blue; 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

DOB-Kun is Murakami's central invention and his sharpest tool for interrogating what he called the "secret of market survivability." Modeled against Mickey, Miffy, and Hello Kitty, the character parodies the machinery of mascot commerce. A MoMA-issued vinyl toy makes that critique literal, placing a museum-authored product inside the very consumer economy Murakami set out to examine.

Collector Perspective

The MoMA imprint gives this piece institutional pedigree that distinguishes it from open-market merchandise. Collectors value DOB-Kun as Murakami's most legible motif, and the fuchsia colorway offers a bold, display-forward variant. As a compact vinyl object, it appeals equally to Superflat completists and newer buyers seeking an accessible, recognizable entry point into the artist's character universe.

Historical Context

Mr. DOB emerged in the early-to-mid 1990s as Murakami advanced his Superflat theory, collapsing fine art, anime, and consumer graphics onto one plane. The character's museum debut came via 727 (1996), now in MoMA's collection. By 2019, DOB had become an enduring emblem, and MoMA's decision to issue him as a vinyl figure reflects his crossover standing between the gallery and the gift shop.

Documented Release Details

Object type: Album / packaging artwork
Release date: 2019
Release-date note: Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
Medium and materials: Vinyl Toy; catalog dimensions 9 x 7 x 4 inches; Each of the Murakami DOB-kun's five colors is available in limited quantities; Figures can stand on their own for display and come packaged in a printed cardboard box that coordinates with the color of the figure.
Edition details: Legacy catalog label: Dark Blue; 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 Takashi Murakami'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 2019 and attributes the edition to MoMA.

Authentication, Presentation and Provenance

Original presentation: The saved release description references: Figures can stand on their own for display and come packaged in a printed cardboard box that coordinates with the color of the figure. Confirm any original sleeve, tube, box, or backing board copy by copy.
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 MoMA. 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

Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
Kaikai Kiki — official studio site — Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official studio/company site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
Takashi Murakami — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
Takashi Murakami (Q352437) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.

FAQ

Who is DOB-Kun?

DOB-Kun, or Mr. DOB, is Takashi Murakami's most celebrated character. The honorific "-kun" suggests childlike cuteness. His name is spelled across his rounded ears and face. Murakami created him to probe how mascots like Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty achieve lasting market survivability.

What makes this DOB-Kun version distinct?

This is a 2019 MoMA exclusive vinyl toy in a fuchsia colorway, measuring roughly 9 x 7 x 4 inches. Its museum-retail origin and vivid pink palette set it apart from other DOB figures and merchandise editions.

How does DOB-Kun connect to Murakami's painting 727?

Mr. DOB appeared memorably in Murakami's iconic 1996 artwork 727, now held in MoMA's collection. That painting cemented DOB as a recurring figure, and this vinyl toy translates the same character into a three-dimensional collectible.

Is DOB-Kun a good entry point into collecting Murakami?

Yes. As Murakami's most instantly recognizable character in an accessible vinyl format, DOB-Kun offers newer collectors a legible, display-friendly introduction to the artist's Superflat world without the scale or cost of his prints and paintings.