BOSTON. An official menu from a state banquet featuring the signature of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong has been sold for an impressive $275,000. The auction, conducted by Boston-based RR Auction on Wednesday, showcased a piece of history tied to a significant diplomatic occasion.
The auctioned menu, dated October 19, 1956, pertains to a state banquet held in Beijing, commemorating the first-ever state visit to China by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. The fountain pen signatures on the menu include those of six influential Chinese statesmen, among them Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai. The banquet, celebrating the diplomatic engagement between China and Pakistan, featured a culinary fusion with delicacies such as “Consommé of Swallow Nest and White Agaric,” “Shark’s Fin in Brown Sauce,” and the renowned “Roast Peking Duck.”
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, expressed the significance of possessing a menu signed by Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, stating, “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.”
The auction also featured other notable items, including a fully operational World War II-era Enigma coding machine, which fetched $206,253. A document signed by Thomas Edison related to a light bulb patent was sold for $22,154. Additionally, a check signed by Steve Jobs to Radio Shack, dated July 23, 1976, and payable for $4.01, was sold for $46,063. This check, from the same year Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched Apple in a Silicon Valley garage, offers a glimpse into the early days of the tech giant.
The auction not only celebrated the historical value of the Mao Zedong-signed menu but also highlighted the enduring fascination with artifacts that provide insights into pivotal moments in history and the lives of influential figures.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
