An Exhibit at the Honnold/Mudd Library, November 2, 1998 - February 1, 1999
(Click on any image to see a full-size version.)
|
An Exhibit at the Honnold/Mudd Library, November 2, 1998 - February 1, 1999 (Click on any image to see a full-size version.) |
The Little Red Book
|
 In
The People's Republic of China, the popularity of "Chairman Mao" reached
proportions of a personality cult during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
During this period, Mao's image and writings were objects of popular consumption.
An estimated forty billion volumes of Mao's works were printed; equivalent
to 15 copies for each Chinese citizen. Mao buttons became the politically
correct means of adornment for revolutionary subjects. Reciting quotations
from Chairman Mao's infamous "Red Book" became a part of daily greetings
and social rituals. The buttons exhibited here are a sample of the
varied images of Mao from this era. Mao is  portrayed
as "the revolutionary young scholar," "the People's Liberation Army soldier,"
"the great helmsman" (steering a ship representing China), "leader of the
Great Leap Forward in 1957," "the teacher," and "the mature  statesman,"
etc. Most of the buttons are made of aluminum though some are plastic
or bamboo. The excessive production of aluminum, buttons prompted
Mao in 1969 to complain "give me back my airplanes." In addition
to buttons, Mao's image appeared on children's notebooks, watches, cigarette
lighters, and an array of popular consumer items. In 1979 and 1980
the state actively promoted de-Maoification, which entailed pulping many
of Mao's works that had filled publishing storehouses. Mao paraphernalia
was symbolically equated with the Cultural Revolution, which Deng era reformists
sought to lay to rest.
|
"The People's Liberation Army Soldier"
|
|
In the late 1980's and early 1990's, however, there was a resurgence of Mao's popularity. The second Mao cult was not state sponsored, but a popular movement which percolated from below. Mao's image was welcomed as a symbol of economic stability, egalitarianism and national pride in a China which was becoming increasingly characterized by emergent class cleavages, market forces, and national insecurity. Perhaps the most striking symbols of the second Mao cult were taxi amulets or talismans which were believed to protect drivers from  potential
accidents. Hanging Mao from the rear view mirror gave voice to the
popular belief that "there is magic associated with Mao." The second
"Mao craze" or epidemic of "Mao fever" prompted mass printings of Mao's
portrait and a range of items emblazoned with Mao's image. In rural
China, Mao posters appeared again, while in urban China, Mao's image became
the symbol of an avante-garde art movement. Newer forms of Maorabilia
featured include the avante-garde artist Zhang Hongtu's painting of Mao
depicted on a book jacket and an acupuncture chart made of Mao's body.
Other Maorabilia featured here are a Warholesque Mao mug, a "Mao's pad,"
and a reproduction of a Cultural Revolution watch with Mao's  waving
arm as the second hand. In the mid-1990's the second Mao cult began
to decline in the cities, though in the countryside, Mao's image is appearing
in a range of venues from shamanic rituals to rural marketplaces. |
|
| Prof. Emily Chao, Pitzer College |
See more items from the exhibit
