Mao Zedong scroll found cut in half in Hong Kong
HONG KONG: A stolen Chinese calligraphy scroll written by Chairman Mao Zedong and estimated to be worth millions of dollars has been found in Hong Kong, police say, after it was stolen from an art collector’s home in September.
The 2.8mlong scroll had been cut in half as it had been deemed too long to display, police said.
It was looted on September 10, along with stamps, coins and other pieces of calligraphy worth a total equivalent to $NZ977 million, senior superintendent Tony Ho said.
Mao memorabilia remains highly sought after in China with many businesses in the mainland trying to cash in by selling collectables from the Cultural Revolution. Fakes are rampant due to a proliferation of reproductions.
The scroll was cut in two for storage purposes by a buyer who purchased it for a mere $HK500 ($NZ98) and believed it to be counterfeit, the South China Morning Post reported, citing an unnamed police source.
Police have arrested three men for the robbery. — Reuters