This lidded bowl with a plum blossom motif shows a little girl on the cover stitching what appears to be a propaganda material with a slogan that reads 'Long Live Chairman Mao'. Regarded as a symbol of endurance, the plum blossom has been a favoured motif in Chinese art for centuries. Used on Cultural Revolution propaganda items such as this, it has come to signify the communists’ perseverance in the revolutionary struggle.Children were popular subjects on ceramics and posters. Their brightness and optimism suggested that life under Mao’s leadership was free of worries. The innocence of children has strong emotional appeal, heightening their effectiveness as carriers of political messages.
