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Cultural Revolution Posters & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book For Collectors)

In 1966, when the Cultural Revolution took hold, posters, ceramic statues, Little Red Books, and other material objects were the principal means that the Chinese government used to communicate with the masses. As art and as propaganda, the iconography of these artifacts was used to rally the people around the programs and personalities of the Maoist regime. For graphic artists, collectors, and Sino-historians, they have a growing importance. With nearly 500 color photos, this book is an introductory guide to the meanings and values of the material culture of the Cultural Revolution, along with brief explanations of their historical background.

Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors

Hardcover: 192 pages

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (July 1, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0764322362

ISBN-13: 978-0764322365

Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 0.9 x 11.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #690,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #10 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Political #1374 in Books > History > Asia > China

Over the past few years I have started to see more and more cultural items from China appearing in the United States. The Buddhas and other religious artifacts are familiar to me, but I have noted other items from time to time, such as propaganda posters or statues depicting some sort of Chinese scene that didn't make any sense to me. This book has provided me invaluable information on what those items mean, both in isolation and in the context of Chinese history. I am glad that I bought the book before I saw the review by "Collector". His/her criticisms suggest that he/she did not read the entire book, or not carefully. The authors are careful to point out that there is a large problem with fake Cultural Revolution items (the Chinese have proven adept and making replicas of Ming vases that fool the large auction houses, so that's no surprise) and that because even the authentic ones are of recent vintage so it is very difficult, and perhaps impossible, to know for certain that a particular item is authentic. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, both the pictures and captions that describe each item and the text that provides historical context on their meaning and contemporaneous events in China. I did not expect the book to be an exhaustive guide to how to determine the authenticity of items, and enjoyed the overview of Chinese history and the item explanations immensely. I finished the book immensely informed, and I will recommend it to my friends and no doubt consult it in the future when new items pique my interest.

I fully agree with the comments of "Collector". To be a useful reference/guide book for the general collectors, techniques on how to distinguish authentic and new reproductions are of great importance. But this book obviously fails to do so. Besides, offering a reference price for the collectibles are always misleading in particular for the volatile cultural revolution relics market. A "star" system according to the rarity of the items would be much more useful in this respect. If you are not interested in collecting CR relics, you may still buy this book to enjoy its colorful pictures though. No harm at all but no gain either!

I have for many years been collecting Mao memorabilia, however there is so little information available on what was available or the value of the items. This book is the only one I ever came accross this so much information and pricing. Well documented, good descriptions and pictures.

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