Year of the Ox

1999: Lunar New Year Cycle (Design - Kao Tai-kung)

 I only have one Year of the Ox stamp which as I was born in the year of the ox is rather an oversight on my part, no wonder this ox is looking quizzical.  The Ox is on the earthly branch of the Chinese zodiac and this year is the Year of the Metal Ox so

1973: Centenary of Nordic Museum (Design - Nils P Blix; Engraver - Cz Slania)

happily this stamp combines both elements of earth and metal with the lone ox leading the plow.

1959: 1st World Agriculture Fair, New Delhi

Two working in tandem in India

1938-1952: Definitive 'Sugar Industry'

I wonder if these two chew on the sugar cane or prefer something more healthy.  It is said that oxen are good for the soil for they are soft footed and nimble so don't impact the soil like tractors and heavy machinery and they also come with their own supply of fertilizer.

Happy Lunar New Year

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - animals of lunar new year - See It On A Postcard
 

Night Skies

1986: Appearance of Halley's Comet

Halley's Comet streaking over the night skies of Athens.  I don't know why Laos chose Athens although the Ancient Greeks were among the first to produced a mathematical model of the universe. Aristotle mentioned the comet that appeared in 466BC, the earliest recorded sighting.  His work 'Meteorology' (which he wrote a hundred years later) also talks of the meteorite that struck northern Greece in the same year, which was 'the size of a cartload'.

1986: Appearance of Halley's Comet

Chinese astronomers reported the comet in 240BC but here it is in a modern setting lighting up the skies of Hong Kong.  I wonder what the scene will look like in 2061 when it makes its next appearance?  I turn next to our natural satellite that brings light and wonder to the night.

2019: 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Mission to the Moon (Design - Edward Fuglø)

There is a rather cute story about this stamp.  The artist, Edward Fuglø, was 4 years old in 1969 and living in the town of Klaksvik in the northern Faroe Islands and had listened to radio reports all day and evening, although he didn't really understand what they were about.  His father Jens lifted him up in his arms walked to the window and pointed up at the sky and told him about the men on the moon.  It is his earliest childhood memory.

2019: First Day Cover - Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Night Views - See It On A Postcard

Tall Buildings Old and New

1947: Air Mail

My first thought on this week's Sunday Stamps 'tall buildings' prompt was New York.  The skyline made an appearance on this stamp with a Lockheed Constellation flying over it. Alas I did not have any other US stamps featuring skyscrapers but

1995: Definitive Stamp

the United Nations came to my rescue with its building in New York and a rather attractive postmark. So what other country came into my mind?  Well with its lack of space it has to be Hong Kong

1997: Hong Kong Skylines

and an evening skyline.  I don't know what the buildings are but

1999: Hong Kong Landmarks (Designer - C Tillyer)

at least this stamp tells me this is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The building sits like a giant bird made of steel and glass by the water of Victoria Harbour, however the tower in the background, not a clue.   From the shining metal and glass of Hong Kong I turn to

1953: Millennial of the Kingdom of Denmark (Designer - V Bang; Engraver - Bent Jacobsen)

the old brickwork of Our Lady Church in Kalundburg, Denmark.  Built about 1170 the church stands on a hill above the harbour dominating the skyline with its 44m (144ft) central tower and the surrounding towers of 34m named after saints.   Kalunburg lies on the island of Zealand which is where

1944: The Round Tower (Red Cross Issue)

Denmark's capital and the start of the journey of this registered FDC from Copenhagen.  I always enjoy watching a parcel tracking app as a parcel wends it way to me but this envelope does it in an analog way if one looks at the back.

It has crossed Zealand from east to west arriving at Skaelstor on the same day 11 May 1944 and then taken the short trip across the water to the small island of Agerso, arriving with its recipient the next day 12 May 1944. Agerso is reputedly a tranquil place with a scattering of old farm houses, possibly a nicely out of  the way place for a Dane to be in 1944 when Denmark was under German military rule.

1944: The Round Tower (Design - V Bang; Engraver - J Britze)

The stamp shows the 17th Century 'Round Tower', an Astronomy observatory which is 36m tall however  if you take the spiral staircase to the top then you will have walked 209 metres.   Today it is used by amateur astronomers.

1963-1970 Definitives - Transport and Communications (Design - S Legrady)

I like this atmospheric 'brave new world' image of the Miskolc-Avas Television Tower.  It was built in 1966 in place of an old wooden lookout tower and indeed retains that usage for it has an observation deck.  Standing 72 metres (236 ft) I imagine there are some great views to be had.

The Shard, London

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Towers or Tall Buildings - look up See It On A Postcard

Cityscapes

1967: International Tourist Year (Design - Cyril Bouda)

Time to take a city break and visit historic Brno. On the left is the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul on Petrov Hill which dominates the skyline and I think the building in the middle is the Town Hall clock tower. There sure are a lot of spires which I observe stamp designers particularly enjoy drawing. In this instance the designer is the illustrator and artist Cyril Bouda (1901-1984) whose own postal design life was celebrated on a stamp in 1989.  To cheat a little bit with a stamp I do not own here is a piece of Bouda's art

and who would not want to sit outside the Sans-Souci Bar in Nimes and enjoy a coffee or something stronger.

1961: Centenary of the City of Setúbal (Design - Candido da Costa Pinto)

If one wanted to combine the pleasure of city within reach of sandy beaches and a harbour front then travel to Setúbal on the Sado River Estuary and perhaps watch a pod of dolphins play nearby. The stamp features the city's coat of arms.

1994: The 1200th Anniversary of Frankfurt (Design - Ernst Kößlinger)

 Here the designer gets to combine old and new with both towers and skyscrapers in Frankfurt.

2003: German Cities (Design - Fiedler)

The beautiful facades of Görlitz town houses in Altstadt make an appearance on this German stamp.  In 1945 Görlitz had survived the destruction of the war but the redrawing of boundaries divided the city resulting in the left bank of the river being in Germany and the right bank in Poland so one can combine two countries united within the European Union in one visit.  The city has provided many film directors with locations including Wes Anderson's visual delight The Grand Budapest Hotel.

1997: Definitives - Hong Kong Skyline (Design - Kan, Tai-keung)

The lights are coming on so it is time to go out on the town.

Sunday Stamps II prompt this week is the Letter C - for Czechoslovakia, cities and centenary - See It On A Postcard

Easter Greetings

2017: Easter Greetings

Catkins are part of the rhythm of the seasons, the thin ones in February often seen on a misty drizzly day and then the plump pussy willow that appear in April.  Finland post says "Catkins bring the promise of spring", they are also part of the Finnish Easter tradition.  The artist Maarit Ailio likes painting with watercolours and says  "catkins are nature’s own treasures". This pretty stamp came through my postbox this week as did

2017: Carousel

this carousel issued for the festive spring season. The stamp design is by the illustrator and and fabric pattern designer Minna Havas who says "Old circus aesthetics is very fascinating. It was very inspiring to design the Carousel stamp and the ornamental patterns on the horse. The stamp conveys both joy and beauty".

2011: Handicrafts (Hong Kong/ Romania Joint Issue)

   It will soon be time to open your chocolate Easter eggs, if you have managed to resist so far, or if it is your tradition to roll eggs on Easter Monday then you are probably busy painting or dying them now.   In Eastern Europe they take egg painting to another level.   Romanians paint the eggs  in natural dyes using the symbolic colours of  red, yellow, blue, green and black as can be seen on the stamp.   It is customary to knock each other’s eggs during Easter, and it is believed that people who knock each other’s eggs will see each other again after death.  On that cheery note I wish you all a Happy Easter.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Easter or  Favourite stamps - feast your eyes at See It On A Postcard

Rooster

1981: Year of the Rooster

As flamboyant as one would wish a rooster to be and there is not just one rooster in this barnyard

Designer: Cheng Chuanli - Engraver: Sun Hongnian

I hope they are not going to fight.  As you can see these stamps are from a booklet.  I discovering that the original artist was Zhang Ding (1917-2010) who encompassed all types of art, design and calligraphy as well as being a teacher and art critic.  I am not sure but think this rooster was first designed as a tapestry and displayed at the Beijing Institute of Research for Carpets.  Zhang Ding was born in NE China first drawing caricatures and later shifting to design.  He participated in the creation of the national emblem of China and the first group of commemorative stamps after the founding of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949.

1981: Booklet Cover Year of the Rooster

Goodness this barnyard is full of roosters.  Room for any more?

1999: Twelve Animals of the Lunar New Year Cycle

The designer is Kan Tai-keung who has been involved in Hong Kong's Lunar New Year stamps for many years, more than 12 lunar cycles, and still doing it today. He also designed the 1997 definitive stamps after the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong from Britain to China.  

Do you want an early morning rooster call?

1996: 100 Years of Going to the Cinema - A Celebration

Here is the British Pathé News rooster whose cock-a-doodle-doo and then dramatic music heralded that weeks news at the cinema in the days when you got a news short before the one or two films showing that week. British Pathé was formed in 1896 when this was the only way to see what was happening in the world but with the advent of television and the immediacy of the news available it eventually ceased in 1970. Today it is still in business but as a fascinating film archive.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Roosters - more fine feathers at See It On A Postcard

   

Zodiac

I was sure I had some zodiac sign stamps with star constellations but it looks as though those must have been in my imaginary stamp collection.  In the real world I could find just two from a set  issued in 1998 by the Czech Republic.  Above is Gemini, the twins.  People born under this sign are smart, cheerful, quick witted and charming but can also be gossipy and fickle. Two famous Gemini are John F Kennedy and Queen Victoria.

Aries, the ram.  Energetic, honest, adventurous but can also be impulsive and impatient. Famous Gemini are Hans Christian Anderson and Jackie Chan.   As the latter was born in Hong Kong this gives me the opportunity to pad out my lack of western Zodiac stamps with the Chinese Zodiac

and the "Twelve Animals of the Lunar New Year Cycle" miniature sheet which Hong Kong issued in 1999. I then wondered what Lunar Year Sign  Jackie Chan (birthday 7 April 1954) was born in and discovered it was the Year of the Horse -

2014: Year of the Horse (Designed by Chrissy Lau)

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps theme of -  Zodiac Signs  here

Folk Art

Hong Kong has combined with about a dozen countries so far in producing a joint issue on a different cultural theme.  This year in October they will issue stamps on local food with Malaysia but in 2011 they joined with Romania to celebrate Folk Art.

The lion head is a dough figurine, an art that has been practiced in China it is said for 4000 years. They are usually of legendary figures or mythical beasts.  Every dough maker has their own dough formula with its own characteristics and preservatives but its main ingredient is wheat.  Simple tools are used to add detail to the figurine, small scissors, a comb, bamboo splints and bone needles.  Traditionally Chinese banquets had a table of offerings to the gods composed of flowers and figurines, after the feast the decorations become toys for children or were thrown away.  The lion head symbolises luck and blessings

The painting of eggs in Romania is done with melted wax, the patterns applied with a pencil like tool called a chişiţă.   At Easter on Holy Thursday women and children gather to spend time painting eggs with symbols of spring and rebirth of nature. In times gone by they were considered to have magic power. Each colour or pattern is meant to combat certain forms of evil and the eggs bring good luck to the house.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps theme - Folk Art

 

On the Wing

1988: Hong Kong Birds

Hong Kong has an amazing number of birds for a place that one always associates with high rise buildings.  A total of 460 species, a third of the number found in China as a whole. The four stamps show some wonderful wings and the cover pairs the stunning kingfishers together. Going L to R we have

• 50¢ White-breasted Kingfisher, a resident of Hong Kong which also breeds there.

• $5 Pied Kingfisher, a lover of fish ponds. Although once widespread it is now virtually confined to the Deep Bay area and Starling Inlet. Occasionally it is seen elsewhere around the coast during migration.  The one shown with its double band on the chest identifies it as a male.

There are three groups of Kingfisher in the world and Hong Kong has them all.  The Pied Kingfisher belongs to the family of water kingfishers Cerylidae. The White-breasted kingfisher is in the group of tree or wood kingfishers, Halycyonidae.The third species is of course the river kingfisher, Alcedinidae.

• $1.30 Fujian or Fukien Niltava, a winter visitor where it is mostly found in the Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve

• $1.70 Black Kite. Hong Kong's commonest bird of prey. It is present throughout the year but migrants swell the number in autumn and winter when several hundred can often be seen circling overhead at dusk.

The attractive cover and stamps were designed by Karen Phillips who has been the illustrator of numerous bird guides of the far east and also randomly a book on 'Popular Chinese Vegetables'. Born in Sandakan, the largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia she was educated at Bedales School Hampshire and studied graphic design in London.  I believe she now lives in that other great birding area of the Algarve, Portugal.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps

Postal History

In my local indoor market a philately shop has appeared, it took me two turns around the labyrinth to find it and that was only because I was heading for one of the doors having given up, thinking my information was incorrect, and there in the corner was big sign saying - STAMPS. Oh be still my beating heart. I changed my mind with what I was going to post for Sunday Stamps so here is my latest purchase which I realised when I got home would fit this week's theme perfectly.

Issued on the last day of return of Hong Kong to China (31 July 1997) from British Government this is from the 'History of the Hong Kong Post Office' series. In the spirit of "One Country, Two Systems" Hong Kong Post is a separate entity to China Post. Most of the original British red painted boxes with the royal cypher are now gone and replaced with the green boxes featuring a Hong Kong post logo but this sheet features an original Queen Elizabeth post box, who knows it may be this one now painted green.  The 150th anniversary of the Post Office took place in 1991 which featured post boxes from the different eras. Despite the post office being founded in 1841 they did not issue stamps until December 1862 with the Queen Victoria, one of which is shown on this sheet  followed by the first definitive stamps from the different reigns .  This year they are issuing some stamps on stamps to celebrate the anniversary of stamp issuance.  Before 1862 parcels and envelopes were postmarked as proof of postage.  Now lets cut to the chase  and those buildings (I especially like that street view on the right).  There is no need for me to do any research because turn over this mini sheet and voilà
there it all is. I found a photo on wikipedia of the 1911 post office (complete with tram) which I was going to show but this Library of Congress Carpenter collection photo has everything, a post office, rickshaws and a seafront.

It is of a similar post office which they say was taken between 1890 and 1925 by the Mee Fong Studio, it is either the same one on the sheet or they built them all in the same style.

An entry to Viridian Postcard's Sunday Stamps theme of - "Commemorations"