Gauntlet Gallery — Takashi Murakami Print Index
Time Bokan (Red-Time)
Summary
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.
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.
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.
About the Artist
Takashi Murakami (b. 1962, Tokyo) is one of the most influential artists of the postwar era, credited with dissolving the boundary between fine art and popular culture. Trained in Nihonga, the tradition of Japanese painting, he earned a PhD from the Tokyo University of the Arts before formulating Superflat — a theory connecting the flattened perspective of Edo-period painting to the visual language of anime, manga, and consumer culture. Through his studio and company Kaikai Kiki, Murakami has produced paintings, sculpture, film, and a vast catalogue of prints populated by recurring characters such as Mr. DOB, his smiling flowers, and the mascots Kaikai and Kiki. His high-profile collaborations — with Louis Vuitton, Kanye West, and others — helped define the modern intersection of art, fashion, and streetwear.
Collecting Takashi Murakami at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Takashi Murakami prints?
Gauntlet Gallery sources Murakami prints and editions through established secondary-market channels and vets each piece for authenticity and condition before listing.
How are Murakami prints authenticated?
Most Kaikai Kiki editions are numbered and accompanied by documentation. We verify edition details, publisher, and condition, and note any certificates or stamps present on the individual piece.
What drives value in a Murakami print?
Edition size, character (flowers, Mr. DOB, and Kaikai/Kiki motifs are especially sought), production quality (silkscreen and cold-stamp finishes over plain offset), condition, and any collaboration or exhibition tie-in all influence collector demand.