A collection of 25 bisque porcelain busts of Mao Zedong, circa 1966-67
From the 'Shangri-La' hoard, inscribed 'Long Live Chairman Mao' in cursive script, accompanied by photographs taken during their discovery, 18cm high. (25)

Provenance: Peter Wain

Footnote:

A set from the same hoard was exhibited: Mao: Art For The Masses, Revolutionary Art of the Mao Zedong Era, 1950-1976, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, May 2003 - March 2004, cat. no. 32. See also another set of 25 busts sold at Sotheby's New Bond Street Rooms, 12 May 2021, lot 130.

A hoard of 400 bisque porcelain busts of Chairman Mao were discovered on the Sino-Tibetan border in an area regarded as the inspiration for Shangri-La. Originally intended for distribution throughout the South Eastern corner of Tibet, they were packed into baskets and transported by horse to Zhong Dian on the Yunnan Tibet border. The baskets were stored awaiting distribution in a police station but never made it any further, languishing forgotten until 1998 when the building was destroyed by an earthquake. The busts miraculously survived, protected by their transit baskets and straw wadding. The design of the bust was officially sanctioned, being the only sculptural image of Mao made for distribution to official buildings in China. The majority of the hoard was bought by the late Peter Wain, authority on 20th century Chinese ceramics and the Mao era in particular, before being shipped to the UK. The present lot has been consigned directly from the Wain family.

Condition Report

One has a hairline to the back. A few have some residual surface grime from packing - this can be removed with cleaning.

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