Collection of chinaware celebrating the "Three Constantly Read Articles."

MAO, Zedong.

Published by Tangshan: Di jiu ci chang ("Number Nine Ceramic Factory"), [c.1966-71]

About this Item

A selection of chinaware, each piece decorated with representations of the three most famous essays in the Maoist canon: "Serve the People", "In Memory of Norman Bethune", and "The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains." Hundreds of millions of copies of all three were printed during the Cultural Revolution, and they were mandatory reading. The accompanying text reads, "We must study these three articles as maxims" - a saying coined by Lin Biao, the Chairman's designated successor, at the height of the Mao cult. This set was made before the dramatic events of September 1971, when Lin died in a plane crash while attempting to flee China for the Soviet Union. Together, 4 items: teapot with removable lid (160 x 120 x 230 mm), plate (diameter 255 mm), creamer (140 x 115 x 75 mm), and mug (85 x 100 x 120 mm), all decorated in colour and lettered and lined in black. General signs of use, heavier inside teapot, couple of small chips: a very good set.

Seller Inventory # 189369

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Collection of chinaware celebrating the "Three Constantly Read Articles."
• Publisher: Tangshan: Di jiu ci chang ("Number Nine Ceramic Factory"), [c.1966-71]