Mongolian Bust of Mao Zedong

Cool white glaze and a starred cap, with not a smudge anywhere.

This bust of Mao Zedong is from Hohhot, Mongolia, 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. Milky, even glaze pools softly in the folds of the collar and pockets. A star sits on the front of the cap, and raised characters run across the plinth below the buttoned jacket. It is 7.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 10 high.

Clean-lined, composed, and not in the least dusty.