A man tore a Mao Zedong scroll in half after believing it was a counterfeit.

The three-meter scroll had been written by Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the Communist state, in 1929.

However, the $297 million scroll was stolen by thieves from a home of an art collector and it was sold to a buyer for only $64.

But the buyer decided to cut the scroll as it was too long, and now the original owner has said that the scroll’s value has been ‘definitely affected.’

According to LadBible, three men broke into Fu Chunxiao’s home.

Chunxiao is a renowned collector of stamps, copper coins, and art. He also has other pieces of calligraphy by Mao, all of which are expected to be worth $645 million.

The thieves then sold the scroll to another art collector for only $64.

But the man has since come forward after reports about the Mao scroll and said he thought it was a fake and decided to cut it so he could display it easier.

Hong Kong police senior superintendent Tony Ho said: “Someone thought the calligraphy was too long… and difficult to show and display. That’s why it was cut in half.

“It was heartbreaking to see it be torn into two pieces. It will definitely affect its value but the impact remains to be seen.”

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