Collecting the Revolution: British Engagements with Chinese Cultural Revolution Material Culture

Collecting the Revolution explores the objects that China exported during the Cultural Revolution and how they were later incorporated into the collections of British museums, allowing later generations to engage with one of the most controversial and important periods of Chinas recent history.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 01 April 2024
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

In the late 1960s, student protests erupted across the globe, with notable demonstrations in Britain and China. While the anti-Vietnam protestors in Britain and the Red Guards in China exhibited distinct ideologies, they shared common inspirations, aspirations, and aesthetics. In Western popular media, Mao's China was often portrayed as a threat to global peace, but for some on the counter-cultural left, the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) held intriguing ideas worth exploring. Additionally, due to Britain's ongoing colonial possession of Hong Kong, the country had a particular interest in the events unfolding in China, leading to a high demand for information. Consequently, the objects exported by China, including propaganda posters, paintings, Mao badges, periodicals, and ceramics, became vital channels through which China was perceived during this period. Collecting the Revolution delves into the stories of diplomats, journalists, activists, students, and others, examining how they perceived, interacted with, and later remembered Mao's China through its objects. It traces the journey of these objects, which were later acquired by some of Britain's most prominent museums, ensuring that future generations can continue to engage with this pivotal and controversial era in China's recent history.

Weight: 345g
Dimension: 228 x 152 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538150696