Help with this banner please!

[rboomsma]

Hello

I got this Lenin banner, it is quite large 6' x 6'. Made of cotton, numerous rust marks where the banner had been nailed to something, some water stains, a few tears along the edges.

Drawing of young Lenin done in what seems to be charcoal.
Detail is excellent and drawn very well. No artist name anywhere to be found. age unkown? But appears to be old.

I got it from a guy in Ontario who imports furnature from Europe, he found it one of the drawers of piece he imported.
Price $38 USD, I think a good deal. As I have never seen anything like it in Russia or on any website.

What can anyone tell me about this?? value? rarity??

Thanks

[new world]

Hi rboomsma,

This is not really a banner, but rather propaganda portrait of Lenin. Portraits like this one were quite common, every concert hall, factory, military base or place of public gathering had one displayed in the large hall.

I am not what happened to all these portraits after the end of the USSR. Because I have not seen any of thse for sale - my guess is that most f them were sedtroyed...

Best,
Vlad

[DougD]

...portraits are very common in the markets and stalls in Moscow; they tend to sell for about $25-$50 depoending on age and condition.

DD

[rboomsma]

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping I had something rare.

But I agree that not many are for sale as I have never seen any in the Russian markets, in my travels.

[DougD]

I have been to the Russian markets in Moscow and St.Pete 5 times in the past 7 years and lenin items like this were more common a few years back than they are now; all the typical soviet era items are becoming more difficult to get, but they still command very little money. If it were dated pre 1945, or better yet made when Lenin was still living, it would be worth alot.

DougD