Gauntlet Gallery — Takashi Murakami Print Index
Time Bokan (Red-Time)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Takashi Murakami's Time Bokan (Red-Time) , 2011, is a 21 x 21-inch offset lithograph printed with silver ink, published by Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. in a signed and numbered edition of 300. The composition renders Murakami's recurring skull-cloud motif, a mushroom-cloud-shaped death's head derived from the 1970s anime Time Bokan , in a saturated red field that hardens the image's tension between pop cheer and catastrophe.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 300. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The Time Bokan series is one of Murakami's most conceptually loaded bodies of work, converting a nostalgic cartoon explosion into a meditation on nuclear memory and mortality. The Red-Time colorway intensifies that reading. As a signed, numbered edition of 300 with silver ink on a square format, this print offers collectors a compact, iconic entry into Murakami's darker Superflat vocabulary.
Collector Perspective
For collectors, the appeal rests on recognizability and format: the skull-cloud is among Murakami's most identifiable images, and the square 21-inch size frames well without dominating a wall. The metallic silver ink rewards in-person viewing, shifting under light. Signed and numbered from 300, condition of the sheet, ink, and margins should guide any acquisition decision, alongside verified edition documentation.
Historical Context
Murakami launched the Time Bokan motif in the early 2000s, drawing its name and silhouette from the 1975 Tatsunoko anime whose episodes ended in a signature skull-shaped blast. Filtered through his Superflat theory and Japan's postwar relationship to the atomic bomb, the image recurs across paintings and prints. This 2011 Red-Time edition sits within that ongoing series, translating a monumental theme into an accessible offset lithograph.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned lithograph
- Release date
- 2011
- 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 21 x 21 inches; Offset print with silver.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 300.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature 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: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Murakami launched the Time Bokan motif in the early 2000s, drawing its name and silhouette from the 1975 Tatsunoko anime whose episodes ended in a signature skull-shaped blast. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2011 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
Is this Murakami print signed and numbered?
Yes. Per the publisher's description, each impression is hand-signed and numbered by Takashi Murakami from an edition of 300.
What is the medium and size?
It is a 21 x 21-inch offset lithograph printed with silver ink, published by Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. in 2011.
What does the 'Time Bokan' image depict?
It depicts Murakami's signature skull-cloud, a mushroom-cloud-shaped death's head named after the 1970s anime Time Bokan, here rendered in a red colorway known as Red-Time.
How large is the edition?
The edition is 300, making it a limited but not exceptionally scarce release within Murakami's print output.
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