Apr 25, 2014

New Zealand - 2012 - Maori Rock Art

The Matariki 2012 stamp issue pays tribute to Māori rock art - a unique art form that gives fascinating insights into the earliest people of Aotearoa.

Matariki 2012 - Mini Sheet



Matariki is celebrated throughout New Zealand, but in the south, Puaka (Rigel, part of the Orion constellation) appears in the sky at the same time as Matariki, and is widely acknowledged.

Māori rock art is visible throughout the country and the stamps in this issue depict examples of rock art documented in Te Waipounamu (the South Island) where more than 500 sites have been recorded to date.
Rock art is applied to a variety of stone types, and while the common perception is that rock art was created using a burnt stick, the majority of the ‘drawings’ in Te Waipounamu appear to have been applied as pigment in solution. The style of Māori rock art is similar to that from wider Polynesia, suggesting that it was a practice brought to New Zealand by its earliest people.

Māori rock art gives a glimpse of New Zealand’s history and culture, and the drawings included on the six self-adhesive stamps in this issue portray animals now long extinct, representations of everyday life and depictions of the supernatural.

The rauru (spiral design) on the stamps pays respect to Rangi and Papa, and the light and knowledge that came about from their separation. The colours used in the rauru reflect the land and environment, and the koru represent growth and life and pay respect to the past, present and future.
to find out more.

Matariki 2012 - 70c - Pouākai, Pareora


70c - Pouākai, Pareora

Pouākai or ‘birdmen’ are partbird, part-human subjects that occur widely in Māori rock art in Te Waipounamu and wider Polynesia. The small birds on the outstretched wings of this figure are rarely depicted, and have so far only been recorded in two other sites.


Matariki 2012 - 70c - Tiki, Maerewhenua


70c - Tiki, Maerewhenua

At more than a metre high, this work is drawn on the ceiling of a small limestone shelter and depicts a seated tiki figure, drawn in profile. Profiled tiki figures such as this are sometimes placed back to back, the figures joining to form the frontal view of a single human figure.


Matariki 2012 - $1.40 - Mōkihi, Opihi

$1.40 - Mōkihi, Opihi

This drawing is thought to show two people on a mōkihi, a water craft made from raupō (bulrush) used to navigate the fast-flowing rivers of the southern regions. Rock art sometimes depicts everyday activities, giving us rare glimpses into the lives of the ancestors.

Matariki 2012 - $1.90 - Te Puawaitanga, Waitaki

$1.90 - Te Puawaitanga, Waitaki

This unique figure is commonly interpreted as a kiwi chick within an eggshell. Copied from a site on the banks of the Waitaki River, this image is one of the most frequently re-used rock art designs in contemporary Ngāi Tahu culture.


Matariki 2012 - $2.40 - Tiki, Te Ana a Wai 

$2.40 - Tiki, Te Ana a Wai 

Tiki figures may symbolise the people of the time, their ancestors or perhaps the generations to come. This drawing features one of the classic design elements in southern Mäori rock art - the blank central space in the body and head of the tiki.

Matariki 2012 - $2.90 - Taniwha, Opihi


$2.90 - Taniwha, Opihi

Drawings capturing supernatural taniwha can be found at a number of rock art sites in Te Waipounamu. This figure is one of two large interlocking taniwha. The entire composition is more than four metres wide, drawn on the ceiling of a shelter near the Opihi River.



#series - autoadhesive



FDC




Technical information

Date of issue: 6 June 2012
Number of stamps: Six self - adhesive stamps
Stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers and presentation pack designed by: Dave Burke Design, Auckland, New Zealand
Denominations: 70c (x2), $1.40, $1.90, $2.40 and $2.90
Printer and process: Southern Colour Print Ltd by offset lithography
Number of colours: Four process colours
Stamp size and format: 30mm x 40mm (horizontal)
Paper type: Self -adhesive: Tullis Russell PSA red phosphor stamp paper 210gsm. Gummed miniature sheets printed on Tullis Russell 104gsm red phosphor
Number of stamps per sheet: 25
Perforation gauge: 13.33 x 13.60
Period of sale: Unless stocks are exhausted earlier, these stamps will remain on sale until 5 June 2013


Mar 4, 2014

China - 2012 - The Silk Road


The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East by linking traders, merchants, pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads and urban dwellers from China to the Mediterranean Sea during various periods of time.


Silk Road - Mini Sheet

Silk Road - #19-1

Silk Road - #19-2

Silk Road - #19-3

Silk Road - #19-4

Silk Road - #19-M


Extending 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres), the Silk Road gets its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade which was carried out along its length, and began during the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). The Central Asian sections of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BC by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions and explorations of Zhang Qian. They took great interest in the safety of their products being traded and extended the Great Wall to ensure the protection of the trade route.

Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe and Arabia. It opened long-distance, political and economic interactions between the civilizations. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other goods were traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies, as well as the bubonic plague (the "Black Death"), also travelled along the Silk Routes. In addition to economic trade, the Silk Road served as a ways of cultural trade between the networking civilizations.

The main traders during Antiquity were the Persian traders, the Romans, the Indians and Bactrian traders had involvement, then from the 5th to the 8th century the Sogdian traders, during the coming of age of Islam Arab traders became prominent.



Silk Road - Series

Silk Road - Block x 4

Silk Road - Block x 4

Silk Road - Block x 4

Silk Road - Block x 4

Silk Road - Blocks x 12

Silk Road - FDC Series

Silk Road - FDC Mini Sheet

Ancient watch tower on the Silk Road at Gansu Province - Maxi Card

Silk Road - Maxi Card

Silk Road Map - Maxi Card

Silk Road Route at Xinjiang Uygur - Maxi Card


Technical Details:

SN: (4-1)
 Title: Ancient City with Thousands of Years' History
 Values: 120 fen
 Size: 30 * 55 mm
 Type: T(Mint)

SN: (4-2)
 Title: Strong Pass in Desert
 Values: 120 fen
 Size: 30 * 55 mm
 Type: T(Mint)

SN: (4-3)
 Title: Mystic Ancient Lands
 Values: 120 fen
 Size: 30 * 55 mm
 Type: T(Mint)

SN: (4-4)
 Title: Scences of the Western Regions
 Values: 120 fen
 Size: 30 * 55 mm
 Type: T(Mint)


Serial Number: 2012-19M
Value in Set: 1
Denomination: 6 yuan
Perforation: 13.5*13
Size of Stamp: 39*66 mm
Size of Miniature Sheet:  150*85 mm
Issue Date: 2012-08-01
Designer: Chen Jingyi, Hui Bin, Li Qun
Printing Process:  Photogravure
Printing House:   Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House


Feb 1, 2014

Portugal-Thailand - 2011 - 500 Years Establishment of Diplomatic Relations


In the reign of King Ramathibodi II of the Ayutthaya Period, Portugal was the first Western nation to come into contact with Thailand. There were trade transactions and co-orpration in many areas. So, the relationships between Thailand and Portugal dates back almost five centuries to when the two countries established diplomatic ties on February 10th, 1859 by the signing of a trade and navigation agreement. In 1981, Thailand opened its first embassy in Lisbon whereas Portugal established its consular office in Bangkok in 1818.


#PT064-11

#PT065-11

#PT066-11

#PT067-11

Portugal Series



#TH053-11

#TH054-11

TH051-11

TH052-11

Thailand Series


500 Years of the Arrival of the Portuguese to Siam and the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations

Five centuries of unbroken relations from 1511 to 2011 between Portugal, the oldest established nation in the West, and Thailand, the only Southeast Asian State ever to be colonized,  go far beyond simple trade contacts and are a unique case in the annals of international relations, with diplomatic, political, military, religious, cultural and sociological dimensions. The relationship from the very beginning was one between equal nation states.


In the former capital, Ayutthaya, where a Portuguese district with churches and a mixed Luso Thai population long existed, generations of naval pilots, soldiers, interpreters and doctors loyally served the Kings of Siam. From the 16th to the 18th Century, portuguese was the lingua franca, and it was here that the Portuguese introduced technology and the skills of military construction, as well as European pharmacology and medicine.


Sia, was closely connected to the Asian possessions of the Portuguese Crown and received large and important embassies from Portuguese centres such as Malacca, Macau and Goa, The relations between the two countries remained unaltered, even during the troubled times of the war of liberation led by King Taksin – whose personal guard was provided by Portuguese military men – and Rama I, who received important military assistance from the Portuguese Queen Dona Maria I, in 1796.


In 1820, Siam and Portugal signed the first written treaty of modern times, ensuring Siam’s full integration in to the international community. During the period of the major reforms that took place during  the 19th century and the  beginning of the 20th century, under the reign of Rama V and Rama VI, many Portuguese from Macau settled in Bangkok acting as advisors to the Siamese government. Unlike other foreigners, they became Siamese citizens and received Thai citizenship. The history of this old alliance is an eloquent and pioneering example of fruitful dialogue between civilizations.


Sheetlet

Cover

Cover

Cover

FDC

Presentation Pack

Presentation Pack

Technical Data:

TH051.11

Country / Post Thailand
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500th Anniversary of Thailand-Portugal Diplomatic Relations
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 3.00 THB

TH052.11

Country / Post Thailand
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500th Anniversary of Thailand-Portugal Diplomatic Relations
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 3.00 THB

TH053.11

Country / Post Thailand
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500th Anniversary of Thailand-Portugal Diplomatic Relations
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 3.00 THB

TH054.11

Country / Post Thailand
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500th Anniversary of Thailand-Portugal Diplomatic Relations
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 3.00 THB

Number in set 4 (show set)
Layout/Format sheet
Perforations 13.5 by 13.5
Stamp issuing authority The Communications Authority of Thailand

PT064.11

Country / Post Portugal
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500 Years of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Portugal and Thailand
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 0.32 €

PT065.11

Country / Post Portugal
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500 Years of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Portugal and Thailand
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 0.80 €

PT066.11

Country / Post Portugal
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500 Years of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Portugal and Thailand
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 0.32 €

PT067.11

Country / Post Portugal
Date of Issue 20 July 2011
Subject 500 Years of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Portugal and Thailand
Width 40.0 mm
Height 30.0 mm
Denomination 0.80 €

Number in set 4 (show set)
Layout/Format sheet of 25
Perforations 11.75 by 11.75
Stamp issuing authority CTT Correios de Portugal SA
Printer Cartor Security Printing