On this vase, a PLA soldier takes a water break after helping peasants hoe the fields. The inscription on the back of the vase describes how the army loves the Chinese people. It reads: “The army loves the people/ the people support the army/ the military and people are united as one/ try to see who are enemies in the world.” In many ceramics, the army, which was crucial to maintaining Mao’s power, is depicted helping peasants and workers.
