Personal calling card of Madame Chiang

[Mayling Soong Chiang, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek, 1898–2003.  First Lady of the Republic of China,  1943–1975.]  Madame Chiang’s unsigned personal calling card, 3⅛” x 2⅜”, with original envelope addressed in another hand.

This is the personal engraved calling card of Madame Chiang Kai-shek, the wife of Nationalist Chinese President Chiang Kai-shek.  It appears to be a scarce, if not rare, item.  Our search of auction records has found no sales of a similar card.

The card is imprinted with Madame Chiang’s name in English on one side and in Chinese on the other.  Madame Chiang sent it to U.S. Army Maj. Harold Lindsey “Lin” Arison, Jr. (1919–1998), and his wife Mary Jane (1923–2004).  Arison was an American Army bandmaster who served as Chiang Kai-shek’s Military Music Advisor, and the families were very close friends.  We are separately offering an archive of letters by Madame Chiang to the Arisons.

The card is accompanied by the original envelope addressed to “Mr. & Mrs. Arison” in blue ballpoint in a secretarial hand. 

The card is virtually pristine.  It is clean and bright, as though it were sent yesterday.  Only a small, almost imperceptible ding at the top of the card keeps it from being in extra fine condition.  As it is, we must grade it very fine.  The envelope was never sealed because there is no glue on the inside of the back flap, so the card was removed without tearing the envelope.  The envelope, however, has some soiling and a few small stains on the front.  Furthermore, the surface of the envelope at the upper right corner is rough from where it appears that tape has been removed.  We can only speculate, but perhaps the envelope was initially taped to a gift.  In any event, the envelope is in fine condition.   

Unframed.