Rare 'Little Red Book' Edition by Mao Tse-Tung Hits London Auction Block

Chiswick Auctions presents a unique opportunity as a scarce edition of the Quotations of Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, known as the iconic 'Little Red Book', goes under the hammer this month. Part of one of the world’s most extensive private collections of Cultural Revolution artifacts, the sale will feature books and works on paper on February 29.

Printed in August 1963, a full ten months before the official Beijing release, this miniature edition comprises 156 pages, lacking the engraved portrait of Chairman Mao and the famous slogan 'Workers of the world, Unite!'. The guide price for this unparalleled find is set between £30,000 and £35,000.

Compiled and printed in the Shenyang Military Region, this edition encompasses quotations from as early as 1937 to the 1940s, marking a significant historical artifact never before seen at auction.

The collection, amassed over 25 years by renowned New York antiquarian book dealer Justin Schiller, boasts several rare editions of Mao's Quotations. Schiller, considering the propaganda of the Cultural Revolution as 'the ultimate in fake news', underscores its aesthetic and historical importance. Notably, the collection includes a set of pool balls painted with representations of 'evil', presented to the Admiral of the Chinese Navy upon his retirement.

Around 300 lots from the Justin Schiller collection, comprising books, posters, original art, tapestries, sculpture, and memorabilia, will be auctioned in London while remaining in situ in upstate New York. This remarkable event promises to unveil a slice of history rarely seen outside private collections.