Labubu toy sculpture sold for $150,000 at China auction
A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch.
The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart.
They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power.
On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan ($150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app.
The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction.
It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan.
Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 US branches.
The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu.
Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus.
In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne.
Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported.
In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers -- an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports.
The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customise their dolls.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Weekly
18 hours ago
- Gulf Weekly
Expressions of freedom
melissa@ An exhibition celebrating 127 years of Philippines' independence is set to be unveiled on Saturday, June 14, showcasing the unique interpretations of 33 Bahrain-based creatives from the expatriate community, following Philippines' Independence Day today. Filipino Artists Bahrain (FAB) will stage Unbound: 127 Years of Freedom at Harbour Gate, Manama, under the patronage of Philippines Ambassador Anne Jalando-on Louis. The event, which runs until June 28, will feature a workshop and live painting activation on June 20, which is open to the public. Graphic designer and participating artist Faarni Sindatoc, who has been living in Bahrain for almost two decades, believes that 'freedom isn't just about saying whatever you want – it's about knowing who you are, owning your voice, and using it in a way that creates connection, not division'. In the exhibition, she brings alive traditional dance forms – Singkil, Kappa Malong-Malong and Sagayan – through her digital artworks. 'I am passionate about dance and used to stage many performances in high school. Creating these pieces brought back fond memories,' the Suwaifiya resident and mother-of-one, who believes it is important to educate the younger generations about their roots, told GulfWeekly. 'Singkil is a royal dance where the performers move in and out of criss-crossed bamboo sticks. In the paintings, you can see a princess and her assistant. There's a gong in the background that provides the beat for the rhythmic dance.' Berna Carangan from Riffa will be exhibiting her acrylic paintings, including an interactive artwork with puzzle pieces. The graphic designer and architect, who attributes much of her creative process to her formal degree, has called Bahrain home for the last 18 years. 'The work that I'm exhibiting has to do with carrying our legacies and looking back to see how far we've come,' the 28-year-old noted. Self-taught artist and water colourist Gary Manalo from Gudaibiya has showcased the life of the common man in his creations, from a banig (traditional mat) weaver in Balangiga, Philippines, to a boy engrossed in finding his own reflection in the lake. 'My journey as an artist has been full of struggles. We all know that becoming a full-time artist can often mean financial hardships, especially with a family and two children. But I never stopped painting, because art is who I am. It's in my blood,' the 47-year-old industrial technology specialist said. 'I draw inspiration from the everyday lives of people around me – their routines, struggles and joys.' His favourite medium is watercolour as it helps him 'release stress'. 'Its transparency, fluidity and ability to create soft,luminous effects brings a sense of calm,' he added.
Gulf Weekly
18 hours ago
- Gulf Weekly
Stories in sound
A sound, story and shape-shifting musical project by Bahrain-based creative Sean Aaron Fernandes has dropped three new tracks earlier this month. Sean, under his artist name 'Monsoon for Two' has released his side project Byculla Video Club's three newest tracks - Feel So Pt 1, Eat You Alive and Margao. Known for blurring the lines between genre, narrative and sound design, Sean treats each song as a self-contained 'videotape' in a growing library of sonic episodes. With this new drop, the Byculla Video Club (BVC) is making its boldest mission statement: storytelling through sound that refuses to stay still. 'Each track is its own short film, really,' the Indian creative architect behind the project, told GulfWeekly. 'A song isn't just a vibe – it's a scene, a memory, a moment. That's what the Video Club is for.' Emerging from the atmospheric, experimental leanings of Sean's project Monsoon for Two, Byculla Video Club has evolved into something less like a band and more like a creative ecosystem. The 'video club' in the name isn't just nostalgic kitsch; it's a structural metaphor. Each release functions like an old VHS cassette – distinct in tone and aesthetic, yet part of an ongoing archive. 'The idea was to keep making different music without being tied down to any single genre,' Sean explains. 'So every song becomes a tape, and the BVC is the library. That freedom to shift styles is baked into the concept.' Indeed, previous releases have bounced across indie, funk, folk, disco, and ambient electronica, with new tracks promising further sonic experimentation. Eat You Alive leans heavily into orchestral and electronic elements, and was written within a day, drawing inspiration from one of Sean's previous relationships. Meanwhile Margao explores lush cinematic textures, inspired by Sean's grandmother's home in Goa, India. Feel So was written when Sean was facing an existential crisis and the loss of his first job. The project is deeply collaborative, drawing in artists from across Bahrain and Saudi Arabia within an open door ethos. Frequent collaborators include local mainstays like Gofer, Pineapples, Sugar Rey, Neon Sfynx, Abhinaya and Ronald Shera, who also plays keys and sings in the live band. 'There's no gatekeeping here,' Sean added. 'If someone has a sound, a voice, or even just an idea - they're welcome. It can get chaotic, but that chaos is part of the magic.' The core live band includes Ryan James on bass, Ryan John on drums, Sunny Salis on guitars and Abhinaya on vocals – anchoring the project's swirling collaborations into something tangible for the stage. Their live debut at Over 338 during the Hive series flipped through a mixtape of eras and emotions. What sets Byculla Video Club apart isn't just the genre-bending sound but the immersive sense of storytelling embedded within each track. Songs don't merely express emotion. They frame it like scenes in a film, 'scoring the movie in your head'. This cinematic impulse is no accident. Sean grew up surrounded by stories – some inherited, some imagined. Even the name 'Byculla', a reference to his father's upbringing in a gritty Mumbai neighbourhood, serves as a kind of mythic anchor for the project. 'I've never even been there,' Sean admits, 'but the name just stuck with me. It's a memory I never had but still carry.' With more than 30 tracks already recorded, the most recent releases are just the next few shelves in an ever-expanding library. In the world of Byculla Video Club, every song is a story waiting to be played, and rewound.
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Labubu toy sculpture sold for $150,000 at China auction
A Beijing auction house has sold a four-foot-tall sculpture of a viral plush toy character for more than $150,000, as global demand for the Chinese-designed Labubu dolls reaches fever pitch. The rabbit-like figures sporting mischievous grins began as a character created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, and are made by Beijing-based toy brand Pop Mart. They have been endorsed by celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa, and fans have queued overnight outside stores hoping to snag one, with analysts pointing to the phenomenon as evidence of China's growing soft power. On Tuesday, a teal sculpture depicting a Labubu character with a furry body and head fetched an eye-watering 1.08 million yuan ($150,260) at an auction held in Beijing, according to the auction house's app. The sculpture is "the only piece of its kind in the world", according to Yongle International Auction. It was offered alongside other Labubu paraphernalia including a brown statue that sold for 820,000 yuan. Pop Mart has over 400 stores globally, including 30 US branches. The worldwide frenzy has seen people go to desperate lengths to acquire their own Labubu. Last month a London branch of Pop Mart suspended in-store sales of the toys, fearing violence from would-be buyers who failed to get their hands on the limited-edition Labubus. In Singapore, CCTV footage captured a family stealing Labubu dolls from a claw machine, according to Singaporean online media outlet AsiaOne. Burglars broke into a store in California last week and took several Labubu dolls along with electronics and other valuables, American news outlet ABC reported. In China, the toys have been promised as freebies for new bank customers -- an incentive quickly shut down by local regulators, according to Chinese media reports. The toys have spawned a booming resale market as well as an online community of fans sharing tips on how to customise their dolls.
