Chinese Mao Zedong Lapel Pin

Greyscale smile, fine gilt rim, and red writing so pale it nearly blushes.

This Mao Zedong lapel pin is from China, and dates to the 20th century. It is porcelain. After Mao's death in 1976, the Communist Party began a process of de-Mao-ization, and much memorabilia was destroyed, statues were taken down, and many badges were collected and melted into functional objects. Delicate gold edge circles the white disc. The cap-wearing figure is drawn in smoky black and grey, and a line of faint pinkish-red characters runs along the bottom, ending in a small mark. It is 1.5 inches in diameter.

A quiet inscription for a loud decade.