A set of Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara‘s limited edition “Hong Kong” plates titled Life is Only One—including his famous “angry girl” face—sold for 18 times their retail value at a Bonhams auction on Monday, South China Morning Post reports.
Sold by Asia Society in 2015 for $128 (988 Hong Kong dollars), the set of plates demonstrated just how widely coveted they now are by fetching a whopping $2,320.99 (HK$18,000)—18 times more than their price just one summer ago.
The three porcelain plates are blue and white, and display the face of the angry girl, as well as the Chinese characters for Hong Kong, Kowloon, and New Territories. The plates were among a bevy of Nara memorabilia sold at the auction, including smartphone covers brandishing the face of the Snoopy character.
Photo Courtesy PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images.
Plates from the same edition as the ones auctioned have also been offered on eBay since September, not priced quite as highly. However, this may change once sellers are made aware of just how much people are willing to shell out for Nara’s works. The highest current price on eBay for Life is Only One is marked at $580.
The Tokyo-based pop artist is most famous for his iconic angry girl image. His work is included in museum collections such as New York’s MoMA and the MoCA in Los Angeles.
Bonhams’ Hong Kong outpost recently underwent layoffs and restructuring of staff.