Gauntlet Gallery — Takashi Murakami Print Index
Flower Ball (Burning Blood)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
"Flower Ball (Burning Blood)" is a 2018 offset lithograph by Takashi Murakami, published by his studio Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. in an edition of 300 at 28 x 28 inches. The square format frames Murakami's signature spherical bouquet of grinning, multicolored flowers, here rendered in an intense red-forward palette that gives the work its "Burning Blood" designation and heightened emotional charge.
Collector notes: Burning Blood; saved release record states an edition size of 300. 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
The Flower Ball is one of Murakami's defining motifs, distilling his Superflat philosophy into a single dense sphere where cheerful smiles mask deeper unease. The "Burning Blood" colorway pushes that tension toward the visceral. As a Kaikai Kiki edition of 300, it offers collectors an accessible, gallery-vetted entry into the artist's most recognizable image without the price of a unique painting.
Collector Perspective
At 28 x 28 inches with a fixed edition of 300, this print sits in the sweet spot Murakami collectors watch: large enough to command a wall, small enough in run to retain edition discipline. Kaikai Kiki publication is the key provenance signal. Buyers should confirm the pencil signature, edition numbering, and any accompanying documentation, and verify condition given the offset medium's sensitivity to handling.
Historical Context
Murakami introduced the smiling flower in the 1990s and expanded it into the packed Flower Ball beginning in the mid-2000s, drawing on Japanese nihonga tradition and postwar pop culture. By 2018 the motif was globally iconic, amplified by fashion and music collaborations. This edition belongs to that mature phase, when Murakami issued the Flower Ball in numerous colorways exploring how palette alone reshapes the image's mood.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned lithograph
- Release date
- 2018
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Offset Lithograph; catalog dimensions 28 x 28 inches.
- Edition details
- Burning Blood; saved release record states an edition size of 300.
- 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 2018 and attributes the edition to Kaikai Kiki Co.,Ltd.
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 Kaikai Kiki Co.,Ltd. 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 published this print?
It was published by Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., Takashi Murakami's own studio and production company, which issues and authenticates his official editions.
How large is the edition?
The edition is 300, meaning 300 numbered impressions were produced at 28 x 28 inches, typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist in pencil.
What makes the 'Burning Blood' version distinct?
It uses an intense red-dominant palette that shifts the familiar Flower Ball from cheerful to charged, giving the same spherical bouquet a hotter, more visceral emotional register.
What is the medium?
It is an offset lithograph, a print process Murakami frequently uses for his editions to achieve crisp, saturated reproduction of his flat, high-color imagery.
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