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Lot 1905: MAO ZEDONG

Est: $100,000 USD - $150,000 USDSold:
Alexander Historical Auctions LLCChesapeake City, MD, USAugust 26, 2021

Item Overview

Description

MAO ZEDONG
MAO ZEDONG (1893 - 1976) Chinese statesman, commonly known as 'Chairman Mao, a communist revolutionary who became the founding father of the People's Republic of China, which he ruled as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. Mao helped to found the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, and in 1949 Mao's forces defeated the Nationalist government of Chiang Kai-Shek. On October 1, 1949, Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People's Republic of China. AN OFFICIAL LETTER AND SIGNED ENVELOPE An excessively rare pair of signed items, including an official signed governmental letter and a signed transmittal envelope which enclosed the letter, both sent in 1950 to LIU LINSHENG (given name: Liu Kuiyi) (1878-1950), Mao's second cousin on his mother's side, and he carried the honorary title 'Linsheng'. At the time he received this letter, Liu was serving as Party Leader in Hunan Province, a patronage position granted to him by Mao. Liu and Mao had both grown up in the same small village, about 1,500 miles from Beijing, and Liu's brother had been a martyr in revolutionary activities against the Qing Government. The 8 x 11 inch letter, dated April 14, 1950, was hand-executed by an amanuenses on period Chinese ruled paper and is signed in Mao's hand. It reads in full: 'Mr. Linsheng: Thank you so much for the message on the 2nd of April. The local government has been asked to stop to return the deposit, which was originally requested by peasants. Best wishes and with regards, Mao Zedong, April 14th'. A red ink stamp at bottom reads: 'Internal Archive. Handle with Care', likely placed there by Liu prior to filing. The accompanying signed envelope, 9.75 x 4.75 inches, is entirely in Mao's hand and reads in full: 'Deliver to Comrade Wen Linsheng (signed) Mao Zedong ['Wen' was Mao's maternal grandmother's name - its use here was likely honorific]. To the left of Mao's signature appear eleven red ink stamped characters reading: 'The Central Committee of Chinese Communist Sealed'. With no address indicated, this letter must have been delivered by an official courier directly into Liu's hands. Above these characters appear to blue circular stamps, faded a bit, apparently reading: 'North Branch...Sold Only for Military Purpose/Service'. This letter was the last of a series of letters exchanged between Mao and Liu dealing with the theft of rice in Hunan Province. Liu would die a few months after its receipt, and the letter later found its way to auction in Australia where it was purchased by our consignor. Both pieces are mounted to paper which in turn was mounted to cardboard, probably by the family shortly after their receipt. Liu was not a major figure in the Chinese Revolution, but a biography of his life was written and is in the holdings of 30 national libraries (three in China). 'The Collected Works of Liu Kuiyi' was published by Hunan Renmin Publishing in 2008 and contains the original text of this letter. As Liu died shortly after receiving this letter, no instruction was left for it to be eventually sent to Beijing for inclusion among Mao's writings. Our consignor utilized an extensive network of experts to research and examine these items, and included with the letter and envelope is a 108pp. folder of the result of their efforts. Notable is the handwriting analysis of Forensic Document Examiner Reed C. Hayes, who used twelve known examples of Mao's span in his 21-page positive report. Expert Chelsea Juexi Wang, MA of Curating and Cultural Leadership, University of New South Wales and Asian Art Consultant also reviewed and compared twelve known examples of Mao's hand from various letters and documents to the letter offered here. Her 28-page illustrated report also reached a positive conclusion. Wang also wrote a multi-page analysis of the paper, envelope, chops, and stamps, and undertook additional research on Liu. Additional information includes an image of the letter as reproduced in Liu's 'Collected Works', a history of Liu's family, a biography of Mao Zedong, a study of Chinese calligraphy, and a recapitulation of facts concerning the document and its origin. A hitherto undiscovered Mao letter, a directive sent to a direct relative and lost for over seventy years!

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Auction Details

Summer Historical Auction 2021 - Day 3

by
Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
August 26, 2021, 10:00 AM EST

98 Bohemia Avenue, Chesapeake City, MD, 21915, US

Terms

Buyer's Premium

30.0%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$99$10
$100$499$20
$500$999$50
$1,000$1,999$100
$2,000$4,999$250
$5,000$9,999$500
$10,000$19,999$1,000
$20,000$49,999$2,500
$50,000$99,999$5,000
$100,000+$10,000

Terms and Conditions

This is a live auction conducted under the laws of the State of Maryland.

By completing your registration and participating in any sale the Bidder and/or Buyer agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Registered bidders agree to be fully liable for all bids, including the liability to timely pay in full for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted by the bidder in accordance with the Conditions of Sale.

Please contact Invaluable at 617-746-9800 if you have difficulties using the Invaluable.com website or logging in.
The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason at any time. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer (such as internet or computer related problems), the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason at any time.

In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner. Note: Absentee bids left with Invaluable.com do not reach the auctioneer until the lot opens during the live sale, thus are not considered early bids!

Some lots may carry a reserve equal to or below the low estimate beneath which the item will not be sold. Actual reserve figures or top absentee bids are not made public.

Detailed descriptions of lots and images are available upon request. Bidders are advised that we warrant ONLY printed descriptions and additional information set forth in the addenda and from the auction block. Illustrations of lots in this catalog and our website may have size, brightness or contrast modifications for display purposes. Accurate color representation is not guaranteed.

Estimated selling prices are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimate indicated.

The placing of a bid legally binds the bidder to purchase the lot at or below the bid placed, plus buyer's premium (see item 3). Bids cannot be retracted. Please think before you bid! You are legally bound once you do so. Non-paying bidders will be reported to Invaluable and blocked from future bidding.

Absentee Bidding: All bidding is undertaken in a competitive manner. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. The minimum acceptable bid for any lot is one-half of the low estimates given in the item description. Absentee bids left with the auctioneer are accepted up to one hour before the start of the auction. Live bidding: Bids entered during the course of the sale by bidders on the floor, on the phone, or live on the internet will be taken at the amount bid.

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, but not before, receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via phone, email, mail, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filled with us prior to the auction.
Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, money orders, domestic personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, and bank wires. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions LLC.

Shipment will be via FedEx Ground or DHL. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS only if the buyer submits this request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for lost, damaged, stolen, or delayed shipments. All packages require a signature upon receipt. We are happy to assist you to make arrangements for extra-large or heavy items which we cannot ship directly. Please notify us immediately after the auction if you would like to ship via FedEx on your own account, we will add an appropriate handling charge to the invoice. Multiple lots may be combined into one package at our discretion. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale. Some lot may be sold in as-is condition and are marked as such in the description. These items are not returnable for any reason.

All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise. Items housed in frames have not been examined outside of the frame. Lots which bear defects or damage not visible because of framing will not be subject to return. Auctioneer will not be responsible for shipping costs, after auction appraisal fees, testing or any other post auction costs. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer be responsible for lost profits or other financial damages.

Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.

We do not examine the condition of items contained within frames beyond what is readily visible. Such defects may include, but may not be limited to: mounting, silking, marginal damage, closed tears, "mat burn", etc. That being the case, we are not responsible for such hidden damage. Bidders are further advised that we are selling the autograph, not the frame, and therefore the condition of the frame shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove an autograph from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Historical Auctions will be responsible for any damage caused to the VISIBLE area of the item as it appears in the frame. We will in no way be responsible for any pre-existing hidden damage or defect, nor will we be responsible for any damage caused by us to any previously hidden portion of the autograph, its mount, or any material matted with the autograph during removal from the frame. We do not sell frames or framing glass, any damages existing or otherwise, including cracked glass, are not covered by insurance, refunds or discounts. We are not responsible for broken glass.

Alexander Historical Auctions offers our in-house shipping purely as a service to potential buyers, yet our shipping department handles thousands of different shipments in just a few short weeks after each sale has ended. Please notify us if you require a package expedited or held. Unless the buyer has discussed the need for expedited shipping with us, please allow up to 14 - 21 days for your items to be shipped. We will not be responsible for shipping and handling delays unless the need for quicker shipment has been discussed with us beforehand. We always attempt to deliver our packages in a timely and careful manner, but proper handling also requires time.

The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines and Terms posted on our website.

FIREARMS: Firearms are only sold and shipped to buyers in the USA, no exceptions. All firearms, regardless of age and type, are to be shipped from a registered Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder, to a registered FFL. The buyer is responsible for locating an FFL in their locale to receive the firearm(s) and perform any required background checks. The buyer is also responsible for contacting the FFL which has custody of the guns in our locale in order to pay the necessary transfer fees and shipping and handling costs. The contact information for the shipping FFL will be provided in the successful buyer's invoice. The transfer fees for our FFL are $25 for each long gun, and $35 for each handgun. These fees, and any fees levied by the receiving FFL in the buyer's locale, are the sole responsibility of the buyer.

ABBREVIATIONS: Alexander Historical Auctions utilizes the following abbreviations in lot descriptions. It is the buyer's responsibility to read and understand these abbreviations.

A.L.S. - "Autograph Letter Signed" Letter completely in the hand of and signed by the noted individual. These letters always have a salutation, ie: "Dear Fred", "Sir").
A.N.S. - "Autograph Note Signed" A very short A.L.S., perhaps only a single line.
S.P. - "Signed Photograph"
I.S.P. - "Inscribed Signed Photograph" A signed photograph bearing an additional inscription, potentially a dedication, military rank, etc.
T.L.S. - "Typed Letter, Signed" Body of letter is typed.
Manuscript L.S. or D.S. - Body of the letter or document is in another hand, but piece is signed by the person of interest.
D.S. - "Document, Signed" Could be a printed document, a check, etc. Signature is hand-signed.
A.Ms.S. - "Autograph Manuscript Signed" Usually a lengthier text, no salutation, handwritten and signed by the noted individual. Ex.: a signed legal brief, a war reminiscence, etc.
A.Q.S. -"Autograph Quote, Signed" A quote of any type handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.M.Q.S. - "Autograph Musical Quote, Signed" One or more bars of music, with or without lyrics, handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.L., A.M.Q., A.Ms., A.N., A.Q. are all handwritten by the note individual, but NOT signed.

Taxes

Sales tax will be charged for Maryland residents, unless a resale certificate is submitted to us prior to any payment. We are not responsible for import duty, fees, or taxes.

Contract Information

This is a live auction conducted under the laws of the State of Maryland.

By completing your registration and participating in any sale the Bidder and/or Buyer agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. Registered bidders agree to be fully liable for all bids, including the liability to timely pay in full for any lot that is the subject of a successful bid submitted by the bidder in accordance with the Conditions of Sale.

Please contact Invaluable at 617-746-9800 if you have difficulties using the Invaluable.com website or logging in.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason at any time. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer (such as internet or computer related problems), the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason at any time.

In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner. Note: Absentee bids left with Invaluable.com do not reach the auctioneer until the lot opens during the live sale, thus are not considered early bids! The third-party bidding platform you are using may have received an earlier bid of equal amount and will consider this an earlier left bid for their purposes only!

Some lots may carry a reserve equal to or below the low estimate beneath which the item will not be sold. Reserves and maximum bids will not be disclosed.

Detailed descriptions of lots and images are available upon request. Bidders are advised that we warrant ONLY printed descriptions and additional information set forth in the addenda and from the auction block. Illustrations of lots in this catalog and our website may have size, brightness or contrast modifications for display purposes. Accurate color representation is not guaranteed.

Estimated selling prices are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimate indicated.

The placing of a bid legally binds the bidder to purchase the lot at or below the bid placed, plus buyer's premium (see item 3). Bids may cannot be retracted. Please think before you bid! You are legally bound once you do so. Non-paying bidders will be reported to Invaluable and blocked from future bidding.

Absentee Bidding: All bidding is undertaken in a competitive manner. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. The minimum acceptable bid for any lot is one-half of the low estimates given in the item description. Absentee bids left with the auctioneer are accepted up to one hour before the start of the auction. Live bidding: Bids entered during the course of the sale by bidders on the floor, on the phone, or live on the internet will be taken at the amount bid.

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, but not before, receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via phone, email, mail, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filled with us prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, money orders, domestic personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, and bank wires. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions LLC.

Shipment will be via FedEx Ground or DHL. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS only if the buyer submits this request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for lost, damaged, stolen, or delayed shipments. All packages require a signature upon receipt. We are happy to assist you to make arrangements for extra-large or heavy items which we cannot ship directly. Please notify us immediately after the auction if you would like to ship via FedEx on your own account, we will add an appropriate handling charge to the invoice. Multiple lots may be combined into one package at our discretion. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer for a refund of the purchase price only. Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale. Some lot may be sold in as-is condition and are marked as such in the description. These items are not returnable for any reason.

All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise. Items housed in frames have not been examined outside of the frame. Lots which bear defects or damage not visible because of framing will not be subject to return. Auctioneer will not be responsible for shipping costs, after auction appraisal fees, testing or any other post auction costs. Under no circumstances will the auctioneer be responsible for lost profits or other financial damages.

Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.

Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions, LLC.

We do not examine the condition of items contained within frames beyond what is readily visible. Such defects may include, but may not be limited to: mounting, silking, marginal damage, closed tears, "mat burn", etc. That being the case, we are not responsible for such hidden damage. Bidders are further advised that we are selling the autograph, not the frame, and therefore the condition of the frame shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove an autograph from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Historical Auctions will be responsible for any damage caused to the VISIBLE area of the item as it appears in the frame. We will in no way be responsible for any pre-existing hidden damage or defect, nor will we be responsible for any damage caused by us to any previously hidden portion of the autograph, its mount, or any material matted with the autograph during removal from the frame. We do not sell frames or framing glass, any damages existing or otherwise, including cracked glass, are not covered by insurance, refunds or discounts. We are not responsible for broken glass.

The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines and Terms posted on our website.

FIREARMS: Firearms are only sold and shipped to buyers in the USA, no exceptions. All firearms, regardless of age and type, are to be shipped from a registered Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder, to a registered FFL. The buyer is responsible for locating an FFL in their locale to receive the firearm(s) and perform any required background checks. The buyer is also responsible for contacting the FFL which has custody of the guns in our locale in order to pay the necessary transfer fees and shipping and handling costs. The contact information for the shipping FFL will be provided in the successful buyer's invoice. The transfer fees for our FFL are $25 for each long gun, and $45 for each handgun. These fees, and any fees levied by the receiving FFL in the buyer's locale, are the sole responsibility of the buyer.

ABBREVIATIONS: Alexander Historical Auctions utilizes the following abbreviations in lot descriptions. It is the buyer's responsibility to read and understand these abbreviations.

A.L.S. - "Autograph Letter Signed" Letter completely in the hand of and signed by the noted individual. These letters always have a salutation, ie: "Dear Fred", "Sir").
A.N.S. - "Autograph Note Signed" A very short A.L.S., perhaps only a single line.
S.P. - "Signed Photograph"
I.S.P. - "Inscribed Signed Photograph" A signed photograph bearing an additional inscription, potentially a dedication, military rank, etc.
T.L.S. - "Typed Letter, Signed" Body of letter is typed.
Manuscript L.S. or D.S. - Body of the letter or document is in another hand, but piece is signed by the person of interest.
D.S. - "Document, Signed" Could be a printed document, a check, etc. Signature is hand-signed.
A.Ms.S. - "Autograph Manuscript Signed" Usually a lengthier text, no salutation, handwritten and signed by the noted individual. Ex.: a signed legal brief, a war reminiscence, etc.
A.Q.S. -"Autograph Quote, Signed" A quote of any type handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.M.Q.S. - "Autograph Musical Quote, Signed" One or more bars of music, with or without lyrics, handwritten and signed by the noted individual.
A.L., A.M.Q., A.Ms., A.N., A.Q. are all handwritten by the note individual, but NOT signed.

Payment Information

We will invoice you within five days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, (but not before) receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via mail, phone, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is provided prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, money orders, personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for check clearance, and bank wires.

Shipping Information

Shipments are sent via FedEx and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Due to complications from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we will ship with USPS Priority Mail only if the buyer submits their request to us in writing and accepts responsibility for delayed shipments. Signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Buyer's Premium

A 30% Buyer's Premium will be added to the final hammer price of each lot for lots sold through www.invaluable.com. A 25% Buyer's Premium will be added to the final hammer price of each lot sold directly through our website www.historyauctioneer.com or www.alexautographs.com.

Condition Statement

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for a refund of the purchase price (only). The condition of autograph material is generally described per standards suggested by the Manuscript Society.

Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale. Some lots may be sold in as-is condition and are marked as such in the description. These items are not returnable for any reason.

Any declarations of lack of authenticity by any party must be made in writing.