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Antikbar, Halfsheet
World War II propaganda poster titled "Indie moet vrij!" which translates to "The Indies must be free!".
Key Details:
Meaning: The poster was created to rally support for the liberation of the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) from Japanese occupation during World War II. The text at the bottom reads "Werkt en vecht ervoor!" which means "Work and fight for it!".
Symbolism: It depicts Japan as a menacing yellow octopus, with its head framed by the Japanese rising sun flag, and its dark tentacles wrapped around the islands of Southeast Asia and the Dutch East Indies. The use of an octopus in satirical maps was a common motif to represent imperialist expansion.
Origin: The poster was designed in 1944 by the British graphic artist Patrick Cokayne Keely and commissioned by the Dutch government-in-exile in London. It was intended for distribution in both occupied Holland and the occupied territories in Asia to encourage the war effort.
Rarity: Although 10,000 copies were reportedly printed, it is unclear if they were widely distributed at the time, making the poster very scarce today. |
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