Mao Zedong scroll worth hundreds of millions found cut in half by thieves

After the artefact was stolen in a major heist at an art collector’s home, thieves are believed to have sliced the scroll in half for easier storage

Police display the formerly 9ft long scroll, which its owner valued at about $300m before it was vandalised (AFP via Getty Images)

Hong Kong authorities say they have recovered a stolen calligraphy scroll penned by Mao Zedong and valued at around US$300m (£230m) – but not before it was cut in half by thieves.

The artefact was stolen last month from the apartment of an art collector in Hong Kong, according to the South China Morning Post.

The heist on 10 September targeted the apartment of noted stamps and art collector Fu Chunxiao, who estimated the value of the items taken by thieves to be about £500m. Police say they are still trying to establish the exact value of the stolen property.

The Mao scroll is believed to be the most expensive item among those stolen, yet it was sold for just £50 to another art dealer. The purchaser later surrendered himself and the item to police on 22 September following a public appeal. It isn’t clear at what point the piece was cut in half. 

Tony Ho Chun-tung, an officer from Hong Kong Police’s Organised Crime and Triad Bureau, told SCMP that “someone thought the calligraphy was too long – 2.8 metres in length – and it was difficult to show and display it. That’s why it was cut in half”.

As well as being the founder of the modern-day People’s Republic of China, Mao Zedong was also a calligrapher. He used brush and ink to write most of his letters. In 2017, a collection of Mao’s handwritten notes written just before his 1976 death was sold in a Sotheby’s auction in London for over £700,000.

Chunxiao told local media that he was distressed about the damage and said it would definitely affect the value of the item, though its exact impact remains to be seen. He also suggested he had been thinking about donating the scroll to a museum before the burglary happened.  

Police have arrested one suspected burglar and are still hunting for another two who broke into Chunxiao’s apartment. They have also arrested the person who purchased the scroll, though he has been released on bail. The authorities are still investigating to ascertain whether there is a syndicate behind the theft.