Chinese Mao Zedong Lapel Pin

Soft grey face under a blue-trimmed cap, signed off in red script.

This Mao Zedong lapel pin is from China, and dates to the 20th century. It is porcelain. Propaganda posters of the era generally pictured a utopian society, with smiling farmers, brave soldiers and happy people gathered around Mao, who was cast as a benevolent father and wise teacher. Clear glossy white fills the disc. A smiling figure in a padded jacket is shaded in smoky greys, the cap has a bluish band at the brow, and four red brushed characters trail beneath in a flowing hand. It is 1.75 inches in diameter.

Soft focus, hard brushwork, and a good deal of nerve.