Sp. 490 Sung Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting Postage Stamps (D490)

Stamp SN : D490
Stamp Name : Sp. 490 Sung Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting Postage Stamps
Stamp Cat Standard : Special Stamps
Stamp Cat : Antiques,Calligraphy & Paintings
Issue date : 2006-08-04
Dimension of stamps(mm.) : 30 × 40（mm）
Size of souvenir Sheet (mm.) : 76 × 142（mm）
Printer : China Color Printing Co., Ltd.
Sheet composition : 20 (4 × 5)
Print color : Colorful
Process : Deep etch offset
Paper : Phosphorescent stamp paper
Perforation : 11 1/2

To promote appreciation of ancient Chinese art and philately and to coordinate with the activities of a special exhibition of a painting and calligraphy of the Northern Sung Dynasty, Chunghwa Post is issuing a set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet based on Sung Dynasty calligraphy and painting from the National Palace Museum collection. The designs of the stamps and the souvenir sheet follow:
1. Poem in Seven-character Regulated Verse by Huang T’ing-chien (NT$5): In the calligraphy, Huang wrote only five lines of calligraphy. This calligraphy is relatively small in size. It is written in the caoshu (cursive script) style. Its reserved yet powerful brush strokes give it a bold and solid impression. It is a very well constructed masterpiece. Although, the calligraphy used to be the design of a previously issued stamp, this Post is once again using it as a design of a new stamp so as to give a chance for more people to admire such an elegant national treasure. 2. Calligraphy on Szechwan Silk by Mi Fu (NT$9): Szechwan Silk refers to a piece of extremely rare and precious silk. It was originally woven in eastern Szechwan and made into a scroll afterwards. After its completion, Lin Si searched far and wide for masters of calligraphy to write on it, but out of modesty none of them ventured more than an inscription on the last section of the scroll. Finally, in 1088, Mi Fu wrote eight poems in different styles on it. This shows how highly he regarded himself. Mi Fu excelled in singcao (running hand and cursive scripts of calligraphy). This scroll is one of his earlier masterpieces. 3. Magpies and Hare by Ts’ui Po (NT$12 and NT$15, as well as a NT$27 souvenir sheet): This painting shows two magpies trying to scare off a hare. In the center is a magpie, perching on a tree branch, making calls and stretching out its wings to give warning to the intruder, while the other magpie is swooping down to assist its mate. At the bottom is a hare, the intruder, which has stopped and turned its head to see what’s going on. If you drew a line to connect the three, it would form an "S" and create a flowing rhythm. The techniques used here are both refined and unrestrained.
(1) First Day Cover to be sold at NT$ 2.00 apiece.
(2) First Day Cover in large size to be sold at NT$3.00 apiece.
(3) Folder especially prepared for the stamps to be sold at NT$ 5.00 apiece.
(4) Folder with crystal mount for better protection of the stamps to be sold at NT$ 5.00 apiece.
(5) Folder with crystal mount for better protection of the souvenir sheet to be sold at NT$ 8.00 apiece.
(6) Loose-leaf stamp album page with plastic cover to be sold at NT$ 16.00 apiece.
(7) Maximum card to be sold at NT$30.00 a set.
(8) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with a low-valued stamp to be sold at NT$ 7.00 apiece.
(9) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with a complete set of stamps to be sold at NT$ 43.00 apiece.
(10) Pre-cancelled First Day Cover affixed with a souvenir sheet to be sold at NT$ 30.00 apiece.
(11) Pre-cancelled maximum card comprising 4 stamps to be sold at NT$ 71.00 a set.