Menu signed by Mao Zedong brings a quarter million dollars at auction

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The auction conducted by Boston-based RR Auction on Wednesday featured an official menu from a state banquet that carried the signature of the former Chinese leader, Mao Zedong. This significant artifact, which commemorated the inaugural state visit to China by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, fetched an impressive sum of $275,000.

The historic menu, inked in fountain pen, bore the signatures of six influential Chinese statesmen, including Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai. The banquet itself showcased a culinary fusion of both nations, offering delectable dishes such as “Consommé of Swallow Nest and White Agaric,” “Shark’s Fin in Brown Sauce,” and “Roast Peking Duck.”

Bobby Livingston, the executive vice president at RR Auction, reflected on the significance of possessing a menu bearing the signatures of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. He remarked, “To hold a menu signed by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai is to hold a piece of the past – a piece that tells a story of diplomatic engagement, cultural exchange, and the forging of friendships that have endured through the decades.”

In addition to this remarkable menu, the auction featured several other noteworthy items. Among them was a fully functional World War II-era Enigma coding machine, which sold for a substantial sum of $206,253. A document signed by Thomas Edison, pertaining to a light bulb patent, was acquired for $22,154. Furthermore, a check signed by Steve Jobs, dated July 23, 1976, payable to RadioShack for a modest amount of $4.01, garnered significant attention. This check hails from the same year Jobs, alongside Steve Wozniak, founded Apple in a Silicon Valley garage, adding to its historical significance.

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• RR Auction
• Mao Zedong
• Pakistan’s Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
• Chinese Cuisine
• World War II-era Enigma coding machine
• Thomas Edison
• Steve Jobs