Leather Suitcase

The old leather suitcase (73 cm long, 38 cm wide, 20 cm high) is made of brown leather, with a 7.5 cm-high carrying handle. A note, 12 cm long and 6 cm wide, with the Chinese characters “客舱”(passenger cabin) is attached to the suitcase by a yellow tape (12 cm by 12 cm). The eight angles are covered by small pieces of leather for wear. Near the handle, there is a lock in the middle. The deformation and the uneven color of the suitcase can obviously be noticed. The two belts were once worn off. Comrade Chen mended them and kept using the suitcase. We can the mends on the belts.

Comrade Yu Ruomu recalled that the suitcase was already quite worn-out when she saw it; Zhang Jimin, guard and secretary of Comrade Chen in the Northeast battlefield of China, also remembered that the suitcase was already worn-out when he saw it. Comrade Zhao Tianyuan, former guard of Chen recalled that it was this old leather suitcase that Chen used during travels for official affairs. Back from trips, Chen also put his clothes in it. It even accompanied Chen during his last travel to Shanghai (in 1994). Worn though it is, the leather suitcase was cherished by Chen. Accompanying with Chen for decades, the leather suitcase is of significant historical and cultural value.