1944 World War II Italian Fascist propaganda placard.
An exceptionally striking and historically revealing placard titled "Come ci vorrebbero" ("How They Would Like Us to Be"), featuring a provocative racial caricature intended to arouse resentment against Great Britain and the Allied powers. 
The vivid color illustration, attributed to Italian artist Dante Coscia (1912–1998), depicts a grotesquely caricatured Black colonial soldier wearing a military helmet and uniform and holding a golf club, seated arrogantly upon a donkey, while a bowed and submissive Italian civilian walks alongside, leading the animal. Prominently displayed in the background are classical Roman columns bearing the inscription "S.P.Q.R." (Senatus Populusque Romanus), the ancient emblem of Rome. The juxtaposition is deliberate, suggesting that the proud descendants of the Roman Empire would be reduced to servitude under foreign occupation.
The imagery reflects the explicitly racist propaganda employed by Mussolini's Fascist regime, particularly during the final years of World War II, when Allied forces, including African American and colonial troops, were fighting their way through Italy. By depicting a Black soldier in a position of authority over a white Italian civilian, the artist sought to exploit contemporary racial prejudices while portraying Allied occupation as a humiliation of Italian national pride. The ancient Roman symbolism further reinforces the message, contrasting Italy's celebrated imperial heritage with the supposed indignity of submission to foreign powers. 
An original display card measuring 9¼ by 13¼ inches, printed directly upon substantial cardboard-like stock, with the reverse entirely blank. A small hole near the top suggests that it may have been suspended for public display. Very nice condition.