Special 85 "The Emperor’s Procession Returning to the Palace" Handscroll Postage Stamps (1972) (D085)

Stamp SN : D085
Stamp Name : Special 85 "The Emperor’s Procession Returning to the Palace" Handscroll Postage Stamps (1972)
Stamp Cat Standard : Special Stamps
Stamp Cat : Mammals,Calligraphy & Paintings,Navigation
Issue date : 1972-07-12
Dimension of stamps(mm.) : 51x36
Printer : Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, Japan
Sheet composition : S85.1-85.5 5×10
Process : Photogravure
Paper : Photogravure stamp paper
Perforation : 13 1/2
Photographer : Liu Pao-chin

The two most famous handscrolls of the painting academy of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D) are entitled 〝The Emperor's Procession.〞 Formerly kept in the Ching Forbidden Palace, they are now in the collection of the National Palace Museum. Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. The imperial procession pictured on the two handscrolls is a presentation of a journey taken by the Ming Emperor Shih-tsung (the 12th emperor of that dynasty reigned 1522-1566) from his palace in Peking (now Peiping) to visit the imperial tombs at Cheng-tien in Hupeh province, and his return to Peking. In the first of the two handscrolls, called 〝Departure,〞 the procession departs from the palace for the imperial tombs by land route, men and horses in procession, moving from right to left. In the second, called "Return," they return from the imperial tombs to the palace via waterway, moving from left to right. Watercolor and ink were used in the painting of these two silk handscrolls. The height of both paintings is 92.1 cm. Each of these two installments consists of a strip of five stamps depicting part of the overall procession and three close-up singles revealing some significant views.