Yoshitomo Nara Too Young To Die Ceramic Ashtray by Cerealart, 2002, Unused with Original Box
Yoshitomo Nara Too Young To Die Ceramic Ashtray by Cerealart, 2002, Unused with Original Box
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- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- United States · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked Check the Shipping Flowchart here
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A guide for this piece: about $443, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
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Every piece is measured by hand, in centimetres as Japan measures. Please allow 1–2 cm (about ½ inch) for the give of the material and the hand that held the tape.
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Print, painting and frame
Condition report
Mint
- Giftable
- Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Honest Wear
- As Found
A Glare Made Useful
Nara's smoking girl is a portrait of defiance, and putting her in the bottom of an ashtray is a joke the artist clearly enjoyed. Unused examples with their boxes are increasingly hard to find. It is an object that carries the full charge of the painting at a domestic scale.
Best for: Nara collectors and lovers of artist multiples
Condition notes
Unused from long storage; dish clean and bright. Box with light shelf wear.
Grades, ratings and commentary are given to the best of our ability, knowledge and experience, and condition remains partly a matter of personal perception. What we stand behind without qualification is authenticity, truthful description and provenance, to the best of our knowledge. How we grade
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One of Yoshitomo Nara's most quoted images, made to be used: the Too Young To Die ashtray produced by Cerealart in 2002, a large celadon-green ceramic dish, unused and still in its original printed box.
The Piece
At the centre of the dish stands Nara's small girl in a yellow dress, arms at her sides, a cigarette at her lips and a wisp of smoke drifting away, fixing the viewer with her famous sidelong glare. Around the outer wall the words Too Young To Die run in dark red hand lettering, and the underside carries a printed mark with Nara's drawing and the Cerealart name. The glaze is a soft, pale mint, and the four rests are moulded into the rim.
Cerealart, the Philadelphia studio known for its artist multiples, made the piece in 2002 as a functional object rather than a figure, which gives it a wry humour that suits the image perfectly. At about 25.5 cm across it is a generous size, as happy on a desk or a shelf as in use. It comes in its original box, printed with the image and the title, together with its foam packing.
Details
- Artist: Yoshitomo Nara
- Maker: Cerealart
- Title: Too Young To Die Ashtray
- Year: 2002
- Medium: Glazed ceramic with printed decoration
- Edition: Production multiple; no edition number stated
- Markings: Printed underside mark with the artist's drawing and the Cerealart name; box printed with a 2002 copyright line, Cerealart, Philadelphia, item no. 10060, made in China
- Dimensions: Diameter approx. 25.5 cm (10.0 in), height approx. 3.0 cm (1.2 in)
- Packaging: Original printed box and foam inserts
- Condition: Unused; see below
Measurements are as described and taken by hand; please allow a gentle margin of about 1 cm (0.4 in).
Condition
- Unused, kept in long storage.
- The dish appears clean, with the print and glaze bright.
- The box shows light shelf wear at the edges and corners.
- Every photograph is part of the description.
Condition grade S (unused) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
Checked and photographed in Japan before dispatch. Wipe with a soft damp cloth; avoid abrasive cleaners, which can dull the printed decoration.
Delivery from Japan
Packed by hand in Japan in its original box within a padded outer carton, and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service.
Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Read our guide to Yoshitomo Nara's life and work, and browse the Yoshitomo Nara collection.
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Collectors also search: Nara Too Young To Die ashtray · Cerealart Yoshitomo Nara · Nara smoking girl ceramic
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