'Modern Ink-Wash Paintings' - Taiwan, 2017

Taiwan Modern Ink-Wash Paintings, full sheets and FDCs, posted on Sep 6th, 2017, from Taiwan to New York, USA, with first day postmarks. Thank you Qingqing for sending these amazing covers. The covers were posted from Shilin, a district of Taipei City, where the National Palace Museum (國立故宮博物院) is located. The stamps on the covers feature the following works from renowned modern Chinese painters:

1. Gao Qifeng’s “Macaque” (NT$12)
2. Huang Chun-pi’s “A Secluded Scene of Remote Mountains” (NT$15)
3. Xu Beihong’s “Magpie” (NT$5)
4. Qi Baishi’s “Pumpkin Vines of Abundant Growth” (NT$25)
5. First Day Cover with day postmark
6. First Day Cover with special postmark and day postmark

Due to political reasons, Gao Qifeng and Huang Chun-pi are not as well-known as Xu Beihong and Qi Baishi in Mainland China. Among the two well-known, Qi Baishi is almost synonymous with modern Chinese art, especially his ink-wash paintings of everyday subjects such as shrimp, vegetables, flowers, and insects. Xu Beihong was most famous for his horse paintings, as he combines western techniques with traditional oriental philosophy. Works of them are highly sought after by collectors and often fetch astronomical prices at auctions. 

'Traveler at Shanyin County' - Taiwan, 2016

'Traveler at Shanyin County' (山陰客窗圖), Taiwan, 2016, posted from Taiwan to Shenyang, China, on Oct 24th, with first day postmarks. All the covers were mailed from the National Museum of History where the original painting is housed. Thank you Shiqing! 

1 - Cover with a pair souvenir sheet: The Changyong Post issued a pair of uncut souvenir sheet with a relatively small quantity. This is an official FDC. 

2 - Cover with two fan painting issues in 2016. This cover includes the other fan painting and calligraphy souvenir sheet issued on Jan 13th of the same year.

3 - Cover with a single souvenir sheet. 

Lan Ying (藍瑛) was a master from the Zhe School of China, who was mostly famous for his paintings of landscape, flowers, and people figures. His paintings reflect one of the traditional philosophies in oriental artwork, that is, the harmony between people and nature. His brushwork is simple but exquisite, again a reflection of the admiration of nature and simplicity in life shared by many oriental intellectuals. 

‘Painting and Calligraphy on the Fan Souvenir Sheet’ – Taiwan, 2016

Painting and calligraphy on the fan is a genre of Chinese art that the Chinese populace, especially intellectuals, cherish.  The FDC was issued on Jan 13th, 2016 featuring painting and calligraphy by Wen Zhengming, a famous artist in the Ming Dynasty. The fan is a prized exhibit of the National Museum of History, where the FDCs in the picture were sent. Both a paper and bamboo chip version were issued (mine is a paper version), which are the materials to make a fan. The additional five sets of fan painting and calligraphy stamps were issued in Taiwan during 1970s.

This set was purchased from another collector and remains as one of my favorites. The way that relevant stamps are added to the new issued FDC is called Jia Tie (). I am not sure whether this concept is popular in other countries but in China, it is becoming an area where collectors can maximize their knowledge, creation, and imagination, while minizine their pocket during the process. Well, some of them are too wealthy to care :)

'Ancient Chinese Paintings by Giuseppe Castiglione, Qing Dynasty' - Taiwan, 2017

'Ancient Chinese Paintings by Giuseppe Castiglione, Qing Dynasty', posted on Oct 8th, 2015 from Taiwan to Shenzhen, with special and first day postmarks. The first two are official FDCs and the latter two are white covers.

Giuseppe Castiglione (郎世宁) was a prominent Italian painter, who served in the imperial court during Qing Dynasty's ascend to her peak. His paintings, which fuse the western skill with oriental culture, were well-regarded by the emperors he served, including Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. In addition, he was the architect in charge of designing the western-styled Old Summer Palace, which was looted and burned by the British and French armies in 1859.

The Changhua Post has issued several sets of stamps with Giuseppe Castiglione's paintings, including the 'Eight Prized Horses Paintings Postage Stamps' in 1973, the 'Peacocks' in 1991, this set in 2015, and the 'Flowers and Birds' in 2016 and 2017.