Hat
Medium: Bronze sculpture
Year: 1988-1994
Conceived in 1988, cast in 1994
Dimensions: 25 (H) x 26.5 x 13 cm (10 x 13 x 10 1/2 inches)
Edition: 30
Artist’s Proofs: 1 AP
Dated, signed, editioned and stamped with the foundry mark (on the underside)
This bronze sculpture, conceived in 1988 and cast in 1994 in an edition of 30, belongs to Yayoi Kusama’s sculptural investigations into clothing, the body, and psychological containment. The form takes the shape of a hat (an everyday object closely associated with identity and social presence) resting on a shallow dish-like base. Its surface is entirely covered with raised, looping organic patterns, immediately recalling Kusama’s Infinity Nets and her tactile approach to repetition.
Executed in bronze, the work introduces weight, permanence, and gravity into a vocabulary more often associated with painting and soft sculpture. The dense network of relief patterns enveloping the dome creates a sense of visual accumulation, as if the object were both protected and constrained by its own surface. The patinated bronze reinforces this impression, lending the piece an earthy, almost archaeological presence that contrasts with the psychological intensity of the motif.
Conceptually, hats occupy a recurring place in Kusama’s practice, often linked to themes of selfhood, disguise, and social conformity. Here, the hat becomes less an accessory than a container—an object that suggests both shelter and enclosure. The repetitive patterning can be read as a manifestation of Kusama’s lifelong engagement with obsessive processes, where the act of covering a form becomes a means of control and stabilization.
As a multiple edition, this sculpture reflects Kusama’s interest in disseminating her imagery beyond unique objects while maintaining a high level of material and formal integrity. Situated between fine art sculpture and symbolic object, the work exemplifies how Kusama translates her core visual language (repetition, accumulation, and psychological space) into three-dimensional form, expanding her exploration of the self into a durable and highly tactile medium.
Auction Results
Christie’s Hong-Kong: 28 November 2025
Estimated: HKD 80,000 – 120,000
HKD 76,200 / USD 9,790
REPEAT SALE
Ravenel Taiwan: 3 December 2022
Estimated: TWD 650,000 – 900,000
TWD 780,000 / USD 25,535
REPEAT SALE
Poly Hong-Kong: 12 July 2020
Estimated: HKD 120,000 – 200,000
HKD 141,600 / USD 18,265
YAYOI KUSAMA (B. 1929)
Hat, 1988-1994
Bronze sculpture
Conceived in 1988; cast in 1994
Edition: 6/30
Dated, signed, editioned and stamped with the foundry mark
‘1988 YAYOI KUSAMA 6/30 ’94’
(on the underside)
SBI Art Auction: 12 July 2025
Estimated: JPY 1,500,000 – 2,500,000
JPY 2,415,000 / USD 16,385
YAYOI KUSAMA
Hat, 1988 cast in 1993
Bronze
Inscribed signature, date and number on the bottom
From the edition of 30
Est-Ouest Auctions Tokyo: 18 November 2021
Estimated: JPY 1,500,000 – 2,500,000
JPY 1,936,000 / USD 16,950
YAYOI KUSAMA
HAT, 1988
Bronze sculpture
Signed
From an edition of 30
Mallet Japan: 22 July 2021
Estimated: JPY 1,800,000 – 2,800,000
JPY 1,800,000 (Hammer)
JPY 2,097,000 / USD 19,050
YAYOI KUSAMA
Hat, 1988/1993
Bronze sculpture
Signed
From the edition of 30
SBI Art Auction: 30 January 2021
Estimated: JPY 1,800,000 – 2,800,000
JPY 2,070,000 / USD 19,765
YAYOI KUSAMA
Hat cast in 1993
Bronze sculpture
Signed
From the edition of 30
Mainichi Auction: 17 October 2020
Estimated: JPY 1,800,000 – 2,500,000
JPY 2,600,000 (Hammer)
JPY 3,029,000 / USD 28,740
YAYOI KUSAMA
Hat, cast in 1993
Bronze sculpture
Signed
Edition: 23/30