Bonhams Auctions Classic Anime Cels

Date: 2022 January 30 20:48

Posted by Joe

The good folks from international auctioneers and valuers Bonhams have sent us details of their latest online sale The World Of Anime is set to run from 24th January until 2nd February 2022. The auction features various anime classics included Sailor Moon, Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Cardcaptor Sakura, Cardcaptor Sakura, One Piece, Evangelion and many more. The sale is being headlines by Studio Ghibli cels including some key scenes from Kiki's Delivery Service and Totoro.

Anime cel auctions are uncommon with traditional auctioneers, but unlike other online avenues you know that they've taken the time to verify the items on sale are authentic.

Highlighting the auction is a Kiki's Delivery service production cel featuring Kiki flying with Jiji. Bonhams estimates this cel will sell for anything between $15,000 - $25,000 (USD). In the same price bracket they've got a cel of Totoro asleep!

We'll be very interested to see what happens with all the cels up for auction. Some have already got some bids in place between the asking prices, while others have yet to gain any attention. As with any auction it's always the last 60 seconds where things get really interesting!

Full Story

Press release as follows:



Bonhams Inaugural Anime Sale Offers Rare Original Works from Beloved Classics

The World Of Anime
24 Jan - 2 Feb 2022
Online, New York
Kiki's Delivery Service, Kiki and Jiji, Studio Ghibli, 1989

New York - Spanning Anime classics with the likes of Astro Boy, Sailor Moon, and Pokémon, Bonhams' first World of Anime online sale is set to go live January 24th - February 2nd and will include more than 150 rare Anime production cels and drawings. Relics of the pre-digital animation era, the production of Anime originally was done one frame at a time by hand-painting sheets of celluloid (production cels) and then layering them to create the effect of continuous motion. These production cels allow fans to own a tangible part of the most recognizable Anime in the world.

Leading the inaugural sale is a production cel featuring the titular character of Kiki's Delivery Service with her companion Jiji, estimated at $15,000 - 25,000. This standout gouache on celluloid work is from the studio of Hayao Miyazaki, a pioneering animation filmmaker. Created and originally released by Studio Ghibli in 1989, Kiki's Delivery Service was the first film to be released with an English dub under the studio's partnership with Disney less than a decade later.

Included in the auction are original production cels, douga and genga from studios such as Studio Ghibli, Toei Animation, Shin-Ei Animation, Tokyo Movie, OLM Inc., and Tezuka Productions relating to some of the most popular Anime series and movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Dragon Ball, Slam Dunk, Sailor Moon, Pokémon, Doraemon, Astro Boy, and many others

Bonhams' Director of Popular Culture, Helen Hall, commented: "Bonhams Popular Culture department is thrilled to be embarking on a new adventure into the World of Anime. With the recent Hayao Miyazaki landmark exhibition at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, we feel it is the perfect time to offer these unique treasures from some of the foremost Manga and Anime creators, directors, and studios."

In addition to the online sale, there will be a virtual panel discussion, 'Inside the World of Anime' on Tuesday, Jan 25th at 8am EST. Our panelists, leading experts and academics from across the globe, will delve into the fascinating and expansive world of Anime; the studio history, shifts in international markets, collector trends, and preservation tips for this highly unique and treasured category.

Additional production cel highlights include:

• A lush green scene from My Neighbor Totoro featuring the characters Satsuki Kusakabe, Mei Kusakabe and Granny. With art by Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli, 1988), it notably includes a hand-painted background by Nizo Yamamoto one of Japan's leading art directors and scenic artists. It is estimated at $10,000 - 15,000.

• Son Goku as Super Saiyan 3 from Dragon Ball Z with art by Akira Toriyama (Toei Animation, 1989-1996). Estimated at $5,000 - 7,000.

• Pikachu in motion from Pokémon with art by Satoshi Tajiri (OLM Inc., 1997-2002). Estimated at $2,500 - 3,500.