This remarkable collection of early modern woodblock prints is a truly unique piece of history. Composed of seventy-one richly printed images from the golden age of Maoist art, each leaf of this well-preserved album tells the story of resilience, international solidarity and, above all, the artistic pursuit of beauty and truth.
Faced with the dual perils of the Second World War and the ongoing Civil War at home, China in the early 1940s found itself battling widespread poverty, famine and civil unrest. Despite the ongoing war in Europe, Lady Isobel Cripps and her associates felt compelled to look beyond and support their allies in the East. Founding the British United Aid to China Fund (BUAC) in 1942, these women took it upon themselves to raise awareness of China’s plight and gather much needed funds for schools and hospitals across the country.
In the autumn of 1946, as a symbol of China’s gratitude, Lady Cripps, her daughter Peggy, and a small group of other fundraisers were invited to take a tour of China and observe what had been achieved with BUAC support. Although their invitation initially came from the Nationalist authorities, the delegation were keen to keep their journey apolitical and insisted on also meeting with Mao Zedong. On their final evening in the isolated Communist stronghold of Yan’an on 30th October, Cripps sat down for a private meeting with Mao who then joined her and her companions for a lively dinner of speeches and modern opera performances. Though the details of their meeting have been largely lost to history, it seems very likely that this was the moment, at the joyous crescendo of this meeting of worlds, that Mao presented Lady Cripps with the present album: a token of China’s great appreciation.
This tangible and monumental fragment of history is being offered in the Chinese Art auction taking place at Sotheby's London on 6 November.
