Regarded as a symbol of endurance, the plum blossom has been a favoured motif in Chinese art for centuries. Used on Mao badges, it has come to signify the communists’ perseverance in the revolutionary struggle. Huge numbers of badges were produced at the height of the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1969. Materials ranging from plastic and bamboo to gold were used to manufacture badges, but aluminium was by far the most common material. Porcelain badges such as these were actually produced for only a short span of time (about a year). Their fragility may have contributed to the decline in their production.
