Micronesia at Beijing 2010

Micronesia Post has issued the stamp series feature the Terra Cotta Warriors and Three Gorges Dam for commemorating their participation at Beijing Expo 2010.

The "Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses", is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of China.

The figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers in Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi province, near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

The figures vary in height 1.83–1.95 metres , according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.

The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China.The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest capacity hydroelectric power station with a total generating capacity of 18,200 MW.

The dam is made of concrete and is 2,335 m long, and 185 metres high. The project used 200,000 cubic metres of concrete (mainly for the dam wall), 463,000 tonnes of steel (enough to build 63 Eiffel Towers) and moved about 102,600,000 cubic metres of earth.

When the water level is at its maximum of 175 metres over sea level (110 metres above the river level downstream), the dam reservoir is about 660 kilometres (410 mi) in length and 1.12 kilometres (0.70 mi) in width on average, and contains 39.3 km³ of water. The total surface area of the reservoir is 1,045 km². The reservoir flooded a total area of 632 km² of land.

BuzzNet Tags: Micronesia,Three Gorges Dam,Terra Cotta Warriors,Beijing 2010

Lotus Stamps at Indipex 2011

Sierra Leone Post issued the stamp series feature Lotus flower  in one souvenir sheet and one sheetlet which comprised of 4 stamps. The issuance are commemorative stamps for their participation at The International Stamp Exhibition, Indipex 2011.

Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the Nelumbonaceae family.This plant is an aquatic perennial. Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.

Native to Tropical Asia, and Queensland, Australia ^.it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. The white and pink lotuses are national flowers of India and Vietnam, respectively.

BuzzNet Tags: Lotus flower,Indipex 2011,Sierra Leone,Nelumbo nucifera

Silver and Golden Objects. Polish - Chinese Joint Issue

The presented post stamps have been produced as a result of the cooperation of Polish Post with China Post. They present museum exhibits of goldsmith mastery: a cup from the Manchurian Qing dynasty of the 18th century and a silver Gdansk mug produced in the period 1660-1680.

The Jin Ou Yong Gu cup, made of gold and decorated with pearls, rubies and sapphires can be found in the Emperor's Palace in Beijing. Apart from rich floral ornaments it draws attention by characteristic handgrip handles in the form of dragons and by legs in the form of elephant heads.

The cup was used by the emperor during the ceremony of the welcoming of the New Lunar Year. At that time the ruler poured tusu wine into the cup and then calligraphically wrote a text assuring the country prosperity, safety and unity. The cup symbolized the everlasting rule and the permanence of the Qing dynasty.

The baroque, partially gilded mug is an example of a vessel of secular character, many of which were ordered at handicraftsmen by rich Polish nobility and middle class. It includes a decoration of moralizing content. The goldsmith Peter Rode (Rohde) depicted on the mug two biblical scenes of the life of Joseph, son of Jacob, with the technique of hand made forged ornaments and scenes.

The eagle placed on the top of the lid symbolizes divine might, justice and care spread over people as righteous as the biblical Joseph. The mug comes from the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw. The presented stamps will be issued by both Posts at the same time.

Micronesia at Expo Aichi Japan

Micronesia has been participated at Expo 2005 AICHI Japan which held with theme of Nature’s Wisdom. The stamp issuance was presented in souvenir sheet comprised of 4 stamps feature nature.

BuzzNet Tags: Micronesia,Nature's Wisdom,Expo 2005 AICHI Japan

Tonga at Ausipex 84

Tonga Post has participated at The World Philatelic Exhibition Australia 1984. To commemorate their participation ,Tonga issued souvenir sheet feature 2 stamps of birds, Laughing Kookaburra and Maroon Shining Parrot with background image of the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. The logo of Ausipex 84 printed on the right bottom corner of the souvenir sheet.

Blogger Tags: Tonga, Ausipex 84, Laughing Kookabura, Maroon Shinning Parrot

Tuvalu at Phila Nippon ’01

Tuvalu Post issued the souvenir sheet comprised of one stamp feature the young Tuvaluan boy and friends as Junior Ambassador attending 13th Asian Pacific Children’s Convention. The sheet as commemorative stamp to their participation at Japan World Stamp Exhibition 2001, Phila Nippon’01.

Nordia 2009

The Nordic Philatelic Exhibition, Nordia 2009 held in Hafnarfjörður Iceland 29th-31st May 2009. The motif on the souvenir sheet which Iceland Post issued on this occasion is the puffin.

The Puffin (Fratercula arctica) is a pelagic bird belonging to the Auk family. The latin term Fratercula means „little brother“ and indicates the colours of the feathers which is reminiscent of the robes of monks. The bird has also been called a “dean” or a “priest” in Icelandic. The puffin’s beak is multicolored during the mating season. The puffin is a resident bird. They lay their eggs in holes, dug into the ground, in big colonies. During winter the puffin stays at sea. The motif shows the puffin in Vestmannaeyjar island with the glacier Eyjafjallajökul in the background.

Blogger Tags: Puffin, Fratercula arctica, Iceland, Nordia 2009

Czech–Slovakia Joint issue: Karel Plicka (1894-1987)

Czech Post and Slovakia Post has joint issued stamp with theme of the personality and work of the artist of comprehensive gifts and activities K. Plicka (1894-1987).

Karel Plicka is a part of the culture of two - Czech and Slovak - nations. A distinguished photographer and film maker, he was active also in music and singing. His broad artistic activities in ethnography together with his sensitivity of an artist and musician enabled him to record both in notation and on photographs and film tapes the disappearing world of folk traditions, tales, songs and way of life.

He was also a significant teacher. He was first engaged as a teacher at the School of Crafts in Bratislava, later as a professor and the first dean of a newly established Film Academy of the Academy of Arts in Prague.

Plicka graduated in 1913 from the Teacher School in Hradec Králové, in 1928 from Komenský University in Bratislava in music science, ethnography and art history.

In 1924-38 he collected Slovak folk songs and documented folk cultural for the ethnographic department of the Slovak ethnographic institute Matice slovenská. He recorded about 40,000 songs from Slovakia, Bohemia and Moravia, published in 1961 in the collections Czech Song Book and Slovak Song Book. He set up the archives of documentary and ethnographic photographs of the Matice slovenská.

In 1937-39 he set up and headed the first film vocational centre of the School of Crafts in Bratislava. During World War II he worked in Prague where he published the book Prague on K. Plicka's Photographs.

From the 50s he worked exclusively as a photographer (books of photographs Prague Castle, The Vltava River, Homeland The Beautiful, Levoca, etc.). A famous photographer, Plicka was highly appreciated both locally and internationally for his film documentaries (he won the Venezia Cup for his music poem Singing Country in 1934).

Lesotho stamps at Phila Korea 1994

Lesotho Post Office has participated at the International Stamp Exhibition , Phila Korea 1994. They issued 4 piece stamps series are depicted frog species.

The frog species are Aquatic River Frog (Rana vertebralis), Bubbling Kassina (Kassian senegalensis), Guttural Toad (Duto guttural), Common River Frog (Rana angolensis).

Vietnam at Philakorea 1994

Vietnam Post has issued the bird stamp series for commemorating the participation at the International Stamp Exhibition, Phila Korea 1994. The issuance in one souvenir sheet and one set of 6 pieces stamps. The featured species of bird are Eurasian Curlew, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Great Frigatebird ,Cape Gannet ,Tufted Puffin ,Belcher's Gull and Germain’s Swiftlet.

Germain's Swiftlet ( Aerodramus germani)

Germain's Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani) is a species of swift and can be found in China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.This swiftlet is 12 cm long and weighs 13 to 14 grams. The plumage is blackish-brown above, but much paler on the underparts. The tail is slightly forked and the wings are long and narrow. The bill and feet are black.This swiftlet feeds over a range of habitats from coastal areas to the mountains. Its diet consists of flying insects which are caught on the wing.

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

The largest wader in its range, at 50–57 cm length, and a 1 m wingspan. It is mainly greyish brown, with a white back, and a very long curved bill.This is a migratory species over most of its range, wintering in Africa, southern Europe and south Asia.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Wilson's Storm-petrel is a small bird, 16-18.5 cm in length with a 38–42 cm wingspan.

Also known as Wilson's Petrel, is a small seabird of the storm-petrel family . It is one of the most abundant bird species in the world.

Great Frigatebird (Fregata minor)

The Great Frigatebird is a lightly built large seabird up to 105 cm long with predominantly black plumage. Major nesting populations are found in the Pacific (including Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a population in the South Atlantic.

Cape Gannet (Morus capensis)

The Cape Gannet, Morus capensis, originally Sula capensis, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.Easily identified by their large size, black and white plumage and distinctive yellow crown and hindneck.

Tufled Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata)

The Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a relatively abundant medium-sized pelagic seabird in the auk (Alcidae) family found throughout the North Pacific Ocean. It is one of three species of puffin that make up the Fratercula genus and is easily recognizable by its thick red bill and yellow tufts.

Belcher’s Gull (Larus belcheri)

The Belcher's Gull (Larus belcheri), also known as the or Band-tailed Gull, is a gull found along the Pacific coast of South America.It is a medium-sized gull with a blackish mantle, white head and underparts, a black band in the otherwise white tail, and a yellow bill with a red and black tip. Non-breeding adults have a blackish head and a white eye-ring.

Blogger Tags: Eurasian Curlew, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Great Frigatebird, Cape Gannet, Tufted Puffin, Belcher's Gull, Germain’s Swiftlet, Vietnam, Phi, a Korea 1994, bird

The World Stamp Exhibition PRAGA 2008- Charles Bridge - 650 years

This stamp designed by Czech Post for promote the World Stamp Exhibition PRAGA 2008 which is to be held on September 12-14, 2008 at the Prague-Holešovice Exhibition Grounds.The miniature sheet and the postage stamp commemorate the 650th anniversary of the beginning of construction of this gothic jewel.The sheet issued on June 20, 2007.

Charles Bridge is the oldest bridge in Prague. It belongs to the most beautiful bridges in the world. Originally it was called the Stone Bridge, later Prague Bridge. In 1870 it was renamed Charles Bridge. It is located in the place of the original Romanesque Juditin Bridge, destroyed by the 1342 floods. The base stone of the new bridge was laid by the Emperor Charles IV on 9.7.1357 at 5:31 a.m., which was the best time according to astrologers. The construction was committed to Petr Parlér and his works. The bridge, almost 520 m long, up to 10 m wide and based on 16 arches, was finished in 1402. At that time it belonged to the largest ones in Europe. It is made of sandstone blocks and protected by towers erected on both its ends.

The Old Town Bridge Tower is considered as one of the most beautiful gothic buildings. The bridge is the gallery of 30 mostly baroque sculptures made, inter alia, by M. B. Braun and F. M. Brokoff. The sandstone original sculptures have gradually been replaced with replicas. Until the 20th century Charles Bridge was used as a major way of communication. From 1965 it has been used by pedestrians only and is one of the most attractive Prague sights.

Blogger Tags: Charles Bridge, Praga 2008, Czech

Vietnam at Brasiliana 83

Vietnam Post issued a souvenir sheet feature a bird, Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco), to commemorate the participation at the International Stamp Exhibition Brasiliana 83, Brazil.

The Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) is the largest and arguably best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern South America. It is a common attraction in zoos.

The Toco Toucan has a striking plumage with a mainly black body, a white throat, chest and uppertail-coverts, and red undertail-coverts. its noticeable huge bill, which is yellow-orange, tending to deeper reddish-orange on its lower sections and culmen, and with a black base and large spot on the tip.

Tonga at Pacific 97

Tonga Post has issued the souvenir sheet comprised one stamp depicted Pacific Swallow bird ( Hirundo tahitica) for commemorating their participation at the San Francisco International Stamp Exhibition, Pacific 97.

The Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. They breed in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka across to south east Asia and the islands of the south Pacific.The Pacific Swallow is a small swallow at 13 cm. It has a blue back with browner wings and tail, a red face and throat, and dusky under parts.

Blogger Tags: Tonga, Pacific 97, Pacific Swallow

Vietnam’s participation at Espana 84

Vietnam Post has participated at the International Stamp Exhibition Espana 84 and they issued the commemorative stamp pesented in one souvenir sheet featured Ciconia ciconia bird with backfround image of forest. The Logo of Espana 84 printed on the sheet.

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a strong migrant bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. The plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings . The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) have long red legs and a long pointed red bill. The preferred foraging habitat of the White Stork are meadows and shallow wetlands.

The World Stamp Exhibition PRAGA 2008- Lesser Town - 750 years

This stamp was issued on March 2007 for promoting the World Stamp Exhibition PRAGA 2008 which is to be held on September 12-14, 2008 at the Prague-Holešovice Exhibition Grounds.The postage stamp commemorating the 750th anniversary of foundation of the Lesser Town features a detail of Langweil's model of Prague, a unique work of art, document and rarity. The model was created in 1826-1837 by Antonín Langweil .

The model detailed with a maximum accuracy the colours of face walls, house signs, inscriptions and numbers as well as different types of roofs. One can see piles of wood, small walls and ladders on the back yards. The model sized 5.76 m by 3.24 m is displayed in the Museum of the City of Prague.

The detail on the postage stamp features the Lesser Town Square with the former town hall, Smirický Palace and Sternberg Houses on the northern side of the square, St Nicholas' Church, the former Jesuit college and the neighbouring blocks of houses.

The Prague preservation area of Lesser Town is one of the most attractive highlights of Prague. The King Premysl Otakar II founded the so-called New Town below Prague Castle, called from the early 14th century the Lesser Town of Prague, in the outer castle settlement in the area of today's Lesser Town Square. The Emperor Charles IV substantially extended the settlement by including the neighbouring settlements and erecting new walls (the so-called Hungry Wall).

The today's shape of the Lesser Town comes mainly from the 17th and 18th century, the time of construction of pompous baroque palaces, churches and monasteries. In 1784 the Lesser Town lost its status of an independent town and became one of the districts of the united Prague.

Blogger Tags: Lesser Town, Praga 2008, Czech

Venezuela at Taipei 96

Venezuela Post has issued a souvenir sheet which comprised one stamp feature species Red and Green macaw ( Ara chloropterus). The other image on the sheet various tropical fruits , orchid and water fall as background image. Logo of Taipei 96 printed in the bottom middle. The issuance as commemorative stamp of Venezuela's participation at The International Stamp Expo Taipei 1996.

Ara Chloropterus, or The Red and green Macaw, is the largest of the Ara genus, widespread in the forests and woodlands of northern and central South America. In recent years there has been a marked decline in its numbers due to habitat loss and illegal capture for the parrot trade.

The Red-and-green Macaw has characteristic red lines around the eyes formed by rows of tiny feathers on the otherwise bare white skin patch. Iridescent teal feathers are surrounded by red on the tail.The Red-and-green Macaw has a very powerful beak which can generate a pressure of 2000 psi and can snap a broomstick in half.This powerful beak has evolved to crush or open even the hardest nuts and seeds.

Blogger Tags: Venezuela, Ara chloropterus, Red and green macaw, Taipei 96

Joint issue Czech- Belgium: Stoclet House in Brussels

“the postage stamp with the exterior features a detail of the tower ending with a dome and four figures.”

The theme of the common Czech-Belgian issue is Stoclet Palace in Brussels designed by the Czech native Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956). Stoclet Palace, built in 1905-1911, is considered as his supreme work of architecture. 

The two postage stamps, which issued with the same graphic design both in the Czech Republic and in Belgium, feature the exterior and the interior of the palace on March 26, 2007.

Josef Hoffmann was born in Brtnice na Morave, studied in Jihlava and Brno and continued his studies at the Viennese Academy. For four decades he was a professor of architecture at the Industrial Art College in Vienna. He became the best-selling architect and a co-founder of the artists' association Secession.He designed numerous private villas and palaces.Hoffmann launched a huge amount of designs of diverse equipment and accessories.

“the postage stamp with the interior features Hoffmann's drawing of the hall of Stoclet Palace dated 1905-6”

Stoclet Palace was therefore designed and built according to a uniform design covering both the construction and furnishing aspects. The palace has numerous Art Nouveau elements which are however combined in a so-phisticated way with direct lines of the classical style.

The author of decorations for the framing elements in the dining room is Gustav Klimt. The palace is set in a large garden designed in a corresponding style.

J. Hoffmann is also the author of several buildings in the territory of the Czech Republic.

The World Exhibition of Postage Stamps PRAGA 2008 - Giovanni Castrucci: A View of Prague Castle

This stamp was issued on September 13, 2006 to promote the World Exhibition of Postage Stamps PRAGA 2008 which held in September 2008 at the Exhibition Grounds in Prague - Holešovice.

The Florentine mosaic featured on the postage stamp is the property of the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague.The Florentine mosaic is composed of precisely cut gems so that no or almost no gaps can be seen between the gems. The colour and drawing of the stone is used to achieve the artistic effect. This technique was invented in Florence and was always considered as an exclusively Italian matter. In the 17th and 18th centuries it was much popular as a decoration of cabinets, boxes and furniture in general. The great collector and patron of arts Rudolf II invited to Prague the mosaic makers and gem cutters Cosim and Giovanni Castrucci who founded a prosperous workshop in Prague. Their work represents an interesting, independent version of the Florentine mosaic.

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