Chinese Mao Zedong Lapel Pin

Solemn young face over a hillside of tiny rooftops.

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. Warm cream rather than white, the ground sets the tone. A young figure in a high-collared grey jacket stares straight ahead, and a curved band of brown-roofed buildings and trees fills the lower edge in a delicate scene. It is 1.75 inches in diameter.

Stern up top, picturesque down below.