Chinese Mao Zedong Lapel Pin

Gold face on a red flag, flying over a pale blue sky.

This Mao Zedong lapel pin is from China, and dates to the 20th century. Badges and lapel pins bearing Mao's face were produced by the billions, and Mao himself called a halt to production in 1969 because the metal used was seen as wasteful. Sky-blue ground and gold edging frame a tiny rectangle. A large red flag billows across it with a gold roundel head at center, and a row of tiny characters sits along the cream base. It is 1.5 inches wide and 1 high.

Compact flag, wide sky, and a lot of nerve.