Disney Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket set
Medium: Painted cast vinyl
Year: 2010
Pinocchio: 27x12x11 cm (9-1/2 x 4-3/4 x 4-1/2 inches)
Jimmy Cricket: 6x3x3 cm (2-3/8 x 1 x 1-1/4 inches)
Edition: 500, unnumbered
Co-Produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside of each figure
‘© Disney KAWS.. Medicom Toy 2010 China’ and ‘KAWS.. © Disney Medicom Toy’
The sculpture Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket created in 2010 is one of the most celebrated reinterpretations of a classic animated character by contemporary artist Brian Donnelly, widely known as KAWS. Produced in collaboration with the Japanese collectible manufacturer Medicom Toy and inspired by the beloved characters from the Pinocchio produced by The Walt Disney Company, the sculpture forms part of a remarkable series in which KAWS revisits iconic figures from animation history through his distinctive visual language. The work consists of two figures: a large reinterpretation of Pinocchio accompanied by a smaller version of Jiminy Cricket. Together they create a composition that remains faithful to the narrative relationship between the two characters while transforming them into unmistakable inhabitants of KAWS’s sculptural universe. As with many of the artist’s collectible figures, the piece was produced in a limited edition, reinforcing its status as a highly desirable object among collectors of contemporary art and designer toys.
The larger figure depicts Pinocchio wearing his familiar costume, including the yellow hat with blue band, blue bow tie, red shorts with suspenders, and oversized shoes. Yet the character’s expression and posture have been significantly altered. Instead of the cheerful and naïve demeanor seen in the original film, the figure stands with its gloved hands covering its face. The gloves display KAWS’s characteristic crossed-out X motif, replacing the character’s eyes and immediately signaling the artist’s intervention. This gesture introduces a tone of introspection or embarrassment that contrasts sharply with the innocence typically associated with the character.
The elongated nose of Pinocchio, traditionally associated with the act of lying in the original story, becomes an especially striking sculptural element. By partially concealing the character’s face behind its hands, KAWS amplifies the psychological tension embedded in the narrative of Pinocchio—a story fundamentally concerned with morality, honesty, and the transformation from puppet to human. The sculptural gesture suggests a moment of self-awareness, as if the character were confronted with the consequences of its own actions. Next to the larger figure stands a smaller representation of Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio’s faithful companion and moral guide in the original story. The figure mirrors the posture of the larger sculpture, also covering its face with crossed-out gloves. This repetition creates a subtle visual dialogue between the two characters, reinforcing their symbolic relationship. In the original narrative, Jiminy Cricket functions as the voice of conscience, guiding Pinocchio toward ethical behavior. In KAWS’s reinterpretation, both characters appear equally introspective, as though sharing a moment of collective reflection.
The sculpture is fabricated using cast vinyl, a material closely associated with the designer toy movement that flourished during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Vinyl allows for smooth surfaces and vibrant color applications while maintaining the precision required to reproduce the sculptural details of animated characters. Medicom Toy, long recognized for its collaborations with artists and cultural institutions, has played a pivotal role in elevating collectible figures into a respected medium within contemporary art.
KAWS first gained recognition in the 1990s through interventions in urban advertising, where he altered familiar commercial imagery by inserting his signature motifs, most notably the crossed-out eyes that appear on many of his characters. Over time, this visual language expanded into painting, large-scale sculpture, and collectible figures. By appropriating and modifying globally recognized characters from popular culture, the artist explores the emotional and cultural resonance of shared visual symbols.
The reinterpretation of Pinocchio continues this strategy of appropriation. Disney characters, among the most widely recognized figures in modern visual culture, become vehicles through which KAWS examines themes of nostalgia, vulnerability, and identity. The simple gesture of covering the face transforms the character from a symbol of childhood innocence into an expressive figure capable of conveying embarrassment, shame, or contemplation.
This emotional ambiguity is characteristic of KAWS’s broader body of work. His figures often oscillate between playful familiarity and subtle melancholy, reflecting the complexity of contemporary cultural experience. By placing these altered characters within sculptural form, KAWS encourages viewers to reconsider icons that have long been embedded in collective memory.
Within the trajectory of the artist’s career, Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket occupies an important place among his early collectible sculptures. These works helped establish the visual and conceptual framework that would later inform KAWS’s monumental public sculptures and major museum exhibitions. Today, his works are exhibited in institutions around the world and collected internationally.
The sculpture also reflects the broader transformation of designer toys into significant cultural artifacts. Initially produced for a niche audience of collectors, these objects gradually gained recognition within the contemporary art world as artists like KAWS demonstrated their conceptual depth and sculptural sophistication. Pieces such as Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket therefore function not only as playful reinterpretations of beloved characters but also as milestones in the evolving relationship between popular culture and contemporary art.
Auction Results
LA Modern: 17 March 2026
Estimated: USD 3,000 – 5,000
USD 4,655
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Disney Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket set, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside of each figure
‘© Disney KAWS.. Medicom Toy 2010 China’ and ‘KAWS.. © Disney Medicom Toy’
This work is from the edition of 500
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Sold with original packaging
Heritage Auctions: 17 March 2026
USD 3,375
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 12 December 2025
USD 4,250
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
LA Modern: 25 September 2025
Estimated: USD 3,000 – 5,000
USD 4,445
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Disney Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket set, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside of each figure
‘© Disney KAWS.. Medicom Toy 2010 China’ and ‘KAWS.. © Disney Medicom Toy’
This work is from the edition of 500
Co-produced by Medicom Toy, Tokyo and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Sold with original packaging
Bonhams online: 9 July 2025
Estimated: GBP 3,000 – 5,000
GBP 3,328 / USD 4,565
KAWS (American, born 1974)
Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket (Ramirez-Montagut p. 40), 2010
The complete set of two painted vinyl cast multiples
Each with the artist’s name, date, fabricator and collaborator printed on the underside
From the edition of an unknown size
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Housed in the original box
Heritage Auctions: 22 May 2025
USD 4,250
KAWS (b. 1974)
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Tate Ward Auctions: 15 May 2025
Estimated: GBP 3,000 – 5,000
GBP 3,125 / USD 4,150
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket’, 2010
Painted cast vinyl sculpture
Stamped to the underside of both figures feet with the Artist’s name and manufacturing details
Manufactured by Medicom Toy
Heritage Auctions: 27 March 2025
USD 4,250
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 5 March 2025
USD 5,125
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Tate Ward Auctions: 11 December 2024
Estimated: GBP 3,000 – 5,000
GBP 3,750 / USD 4,785
KAWS (American 1974-)
‘Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket‘, 2010
Painted cast vinyl sculpture
Stamped to the underside of both figures feet with the Artist’s name and manufacturing details
Manufactured by Medicom Toy
Sotheby’s Cologne: 4 December 2024
Estimated: EUR 5,000 – 7,000
EUR 7,800 / USD 8,250
KAWS (b. 1974)
Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, 2010
The complete set, comprising two painted cast vinyl multiples
Contained in the original box
Each figure with the artist’s name, date and fabricator printed on the underside
This example is from a limited edition of unknown size
With the stamps of the producer Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Japan
Bonhams Cornette Paris: 14 November 2024
Estimated: EUR 2,600 – 3,000
EUR 5,120 / USD 5,530
KAWS (Born 1984)
Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, 2010
The complete set of two sculptures in vinyl
Each has artist’s name, date, fabricator and collaborator printed on the underside
From the edition of an unknown size
Heritage Auctions: 10 July 2024
USD 4,375
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Heritage Auctions: 7 February 2024
USD 6,000
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
SBI Art Auction: 28 January 2024
Estimated: JPY 250,000 – 350,000
JPY 770,500 / USD 5,200
KAWS
Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio, 2010
Vinyl, multiple with original case
SBI Art Auction: 15 July 2023
Estimated: JPY 250,000 – 350,000
JPY 690,000 / USD 4,970
KAWS
Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio, 2010
Vinyl, multiple with original case
Heritage Auctions: 29 November 2022
USD 6,875
KAWS X Disney
Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket (two works), 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Each stamped on underside of feet
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
LA Modern: 9 September 2022
Estimated: USD 4,000 – 6,000
USD 8,450
KAWS (Brian Donnelly, b.1974)
Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, 2010
Painted cast vinyl
Stamped signature, date and manufacturer’s mark to underside of Pinocchio
‘© Disney KAWS’ and ‘Medicom Toy 2010 China’
Stamped signature and manufacturer’s mark to underside of Jiminy Cricket
‘KAWS’ and ‘© Disney Medicom Toy’
This complete set of two works is from a limited edition
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake, Tokyo
Sotheby’s Hong-Kong: 15 March 2022
Estimated: HKD 30,000 – 50,000
HKD 277,200 / USD 35,450
AUCTION RECORD FOR PINOCCHIO AND JIMINY CRICKET
KAWS (b. 1974)
Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, 2010
Painted vinyl cast figure, with original product box
Printed with artist’s signature, fabricator, dated 2010 on the underside
This work is from an unnumbered limited edition
Produced by Medicom Toy and OriginalFake