Cultural Revolution Posters & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Hardcover]

Victoria Edison (Author), James Edison (Author)

Book Description

Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors | Publication Date: July 2007

The Cultural Revolution in China was a time of upheaval and change. Millions of lives were disrupted and much effort was spent by the government and the Party to "reeducate" the populace through a great propaganda campaign. Posters, ceramic statues, Red Books, pins, and a myriad of other means were designed to get the message across. Now, after the opening of China to the West, these things are finding their way into the collector's market. In this remarkable volume, the history of an era and the material culture that it generated are shown in over 450 color images. They include 180 posters that set the tone as art and as propaganda. The iconography of the posters was used to rally the people around the programs and personalities of the Maoist regime. In addition there are hundreds of ceramic statues, "Little Red Books," awards, ration coupons, wall hangings, prints, and many other objects included that promoted the Cultural Revolution and sought to influence the Chinese people. For graphic artists, collectors, and Sino-historians, these items have growing importance. With its concise and informative history and beautiful color illustrations, this book provides an introductory guide to the meaning and value of a variety of the most common posters and artifacts to be found in markets in China and the West, along with brief explanations of their historical background and their current value.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (July 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764322362
• ISBN-13: 978-0764322365
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,709,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative book on both the range of Cultural Revolution memorabilia available and its meaning and significance at the time, January 30, 2006

By 

Informed Reader (california) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cultural Revolution Posters & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

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.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing book in most aspects...., March 8, 2006

By 

T. Ho "book kh" (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cultural Revolution Posters & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

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!

5.0 out of 5 stars From posters to pottery, November 23, 2010

By 

keen photographer (London, UK) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cultural Revolution Posters & Memorabilia (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

This is a fascinating book. The range of Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution (GPCR) memorabilia from China is amazing. Well printed and full of well photographed images.
Altogether good value.