Goldsmith’s Art from Italy..

 

 

 

Hi !

Here is a beautiful set of stamps from “Made in Italy” series. The stamps feature art work on gold from Italy   It’s a beautiful set of stamps and sure to be liked by all  !!

Within the series “Made in Italy” Italian post issued a set of five stamps each depicting a work of art of the most representative Italia goldsmith. In particular, the stamps feature:

Earrings with pendant amphora: Etruscan art, dating from the III-II century BC and preserved in the Vatican Museum (Gregorian Etruscan Museum);

Salt Cellar of Francis I: a work containing the figures of Neptune and Earth, made by Benvenuto Cellini in 1543 and kept at the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna;

Buckle in the shape of a star: a work dating from the fourteenth century, on display at the Museo Civico di Castelvecchio in Verona (with the permission of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Superintendence for the Historical, Artistic and Ethno-anthropological Heritage of the provinces of Verona, Rovigo and Vicenza);

Monstrance said “The gold ball”: a work by Leonardo Montalbano in 1640, belonging to the collections of the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia of Interdisciplinary Abatellis Palace in Palermo;

Brooch with Venus marina: dating from the nineteenth century, the work of the engraver Antonio Berini with Castellani Manufacture, on display at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome.

 

New stamp from Spain

Marian Jubilee Year

This year will commemorate the Marian Jubilee Year of the Virgin of El Rocio in Almonte (Huelva) and to mark this event a stamp is issued by Spanish post depicting the image of the Virgin adorned. Pope Benedict XVI declared The Marian Jubilee Year which will take place from August 2012 to September 2013.

The Jubilee is a religious event celebrated by the Catholic Church since 1300 and involves the pilgrimage to a place of worship to obtain the plenary indulgence after fulfilling certain rituals and obligations.

The pilgrimage festival known as Romeria or Fiesta del Rocio Grande devoted to the Virgin of El Rocio is held in the hamlet of El Rocio (Huelva) every year on Whit Monday. The celebration, religious and festive, draws pilgrims from all over the place.

The Marian Jubilee Year coincides with the transfer of the Virgin in procession from the hamlet of El Rocio to the village of Almonte. This transfer takes place every seven years when the people from Almonte carry on their shoulders the White Dove, as the Virgin is popularly known, along a 15 km walk. The effigy remains in Almonte for nine months and then returns to the shrine of El Rocio.

The Virgen del Rocio is a full size statue from the late 13th century. It dons robes of a rich brocade and embroidered fabrics with details of great beauty, and is embellished in gold ornaments, such as the half moon, the scepter and crown. When it is moved to the town of Almonte, it is dressed in a travelling gown known as Pastora dress (Shepherdess) with a flared skirt and short cape over the shoulders. The hair is curled under a hat adorned with silk flowers and ribbons. The infant Jesus is also dressed as a little shepherd.

The Marian Jubilee Year is a vast religious, cultural, tourist and traditional event in Andalusia.

Source : International Stamp News

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New Stamp on Henri Dunant

 

 

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the international Red Cross organization,  Lithuania Post issued  a new stamp . The  stamp features the founder of this organization, a Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Jean-Henri Dunant, and the waving flag of the Red Cross.

The international Red Cross organization was founded in 1863 in Geneva (Switzerland) on the initiative of Jean-Henri Dunant. This organization helps combating diseases, provides help to the victims of natural disasters. Also, the organization arranges trainings for nurses, supports donors, gives treatment to sick and wounded troops.

The Lithuanian Red Cross society was founded on 12 January 1919 on the efforts of the physician Rokas Sliupas and other medicals. A lot of famous Lithuanian physicians and health service people were engaged in the activities of the society. The society has established a number of hospitals in Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevezys, and Klaipeda. The Lithuanian Red Cross was the founder of the first Lithuanian tuberculosis sanatorium in Aukstoji Panemune as well as blood transfusion establishments of emergency medical service.

New Stamp on Music

100 Years of Vienna Konzerthaus

 

Date of Issue : 2 May 2013

Austrian Post celebrates the centennial of the Vienna Konzerthaus by issuing a new stamp. Since its opening 100 years ago, the Vienna Konzerthaus is one of the most important institutions of the international music scene.

The Vienna Konzerthaus was opened 1913. It is situated in the third district just at the edge of the first district in Vienna. Since it was founded it has always tried to emphasize both tradition and innovative musical styles.

In 1890, the first ideas for a Haus fur Musikfeste (House for music festivals) came about. The idea of the new multi-purpose building was to be more interesting to the broader public than the traditional Vienna Musikverein. In addition to the concert hall, the first drawings by Ludwig Baumann for the Olympion included an ice-skating area and a bicycle club. In an attached open air area, 40,000 visitors would be able to attend events. The drawings were not accepted. However, today an ice skating area is situated right next to the building.

The Konzerthaus was finally built between 1911 and 1913. The architects were Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer; the work was done in cooperation with Ludwig Baumann.

Source : International Stamp News

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New themes on stamps..

 

Cookies : Date of Issue - 8 May 2013

Hi !

Here is a new set of stamps from Swedish Post featuring “ Cookies” which is quite an innovative idea to depict on stamps. With the time new themes are appearing on stamps replacing old traditional themes. This set shows delicious cookies from Sweden that will carry greetings from a trip, the beach, a tourist destination and a retreat in nature. What could be better on a sunny summer day than piling coffee and cookies onto a tray and sitting outside in the fresh air ? I highly appreciate this new theme featured on stamps which is closely related with tourism . The stamps will certainly delight all, especially the  children !!

Another set of stamps from Sweden issued on 9th May shows Astronomy Theme   featuring Sundial, Barometer and Compass.

 

Measure Time and Space – Sundial Barometer and Compass

 

    

Date of Issue : 9 May 2013

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New Special Covers..

 

60 Years of Indian Naval Aviation : Panaji -11 May 2013

MIG 29K / KUB : 11 May 2013 – Panaji

International Labour Day : Pune – 1 May 2013

International Labour Day : Mumbai – 1 May 2013

Mohanlal Sukhadia University Udaipur : 17 April 2013

Sheth C.N. Vidyavihar 100 Years : 26 April 2013

: Ankit Agarwal – Pune : email - 3dankit@gmail.com

 

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New stamp on Rainbow..

 

Date of Issue : 7 June 2013

Hi !

Here is a beautiful stamp to be issued by San Marino Post on June 7. The beautiful stamp issue will  commemorate  the inauguration of a Nursery school in Malawi – Matola. But in the design the stamp also features a symbolic  Umbrella Rainbow  and colors of the Rainbow.This stamp is a nice item for my Rainbow collection.

Inauguration of the nursery school in Malawi-Matola 

The philatelic set dedicated to the inauguration of the nursery school with a refectory in Malawi-Matola celebrates the solidarity of the people of San Marino put in action by the San Marino for the Children Onlus Association. The 0.10€ value designed by Maddalena Medas depicts two children protected by a symbolic umbrella with the map of Africa and the colours of the rainbow. The 0.70€ stamp designed by Ladabox.com shows a picture taken on the occasion of the inauguration on the 23^rd February 2013.

UNESCO City of World Literature

On 16 May 2013, An Post issued a stamp to commemorate Dublin UNESCO City of World Literature. The  stamp  features a story about Dublin written by Eoin Moore.

When the city of Dublin was nominated UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) City of Literature in July 2010, the capital of Ireland became just the fourth city to be honoured, following in the footsteps of Edinburgh, Scotland (2004), and Melbourne, Australia and Iowa City, USA (2008).

This acknowledgement while most gratifying, was hardly surprising. Stop a stranger on the street almost anywhere in the world and ask which world city do they most associate with literature and chances are they will say Dublin.

The city on the Liffey lays claim to no fewer than three Nobel Prize winners for Literature: George Bernard Shaw, W.B. Yeats and Samuel Beckett. Other literary luminaries who have called Dublin home include Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Sean O’Casey, Flann O’Brien, Brendan Behan and James Joyce. More recently, the list of Dublin-based scribes  has lengthened considerably. The names of Roddy Doyle, John Banville, Anne Enright, Sebastian Barry and Joseph O’Connor have helped ensure that Dublin’s rich literary tradition continues to flourish. Authors abound in one of the world’s most literary cities.

The UNESCO designation – which is on a permanent basis – recognises the quality, quantity and diversity of Dublin’s many excellent libraries, publishing houses and booksellers, as well as its world-acclaimed writers. Some of the other criteria for the designation include having literary-focused educational programmes, experience in staging literary events and festivals, the role played by literature in the urban environment, and the active involvement of the media in promoting literature and growing the market for literary products.

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Champion Horse on New Australian stamp

 

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

During The World Stamp Expo 2013 (10 – 15 May), Australia Post released a commemorative stamp to celebrate the 25th consecutive win and retirement of champion Australian racehorse Black Caviar.

The six-year-old mare, Black Caviar, leaves an extraordinary legacy of 25 wins from 25 starts, including 15 Australian Group 1 victories. Her consecutive wins constitute a world record for horses of the modern age competing at the elite level.

She first showed promise as a two and three-year-old with five wins from five starts. As a four-year-old her career blossomed when she faced her first Group 1 challenge in what was described as “an astonishing demolition job”. On 28 April 2012, she established a new Australian record of 20 consecutive wins when she took out the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide.

In June 2012, Black Caviar journeyed overseas to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Australians watching the race held their breath when, after taking the lead with some 200 metres to go, jockey Luke Nolen eased her back enabling second running horse Moonlight Cloud to momentarily draw level. In the final strides before the line Black Caviar surged forward to win by a head and examination would reveal that she had incurred injuries during the race.

Black Caviar returned to the track in 2013 with wins in the Lightning Stakes, William Reid Stakes and the T.J. Smith Stakes. Her connections announced her retirement from racing on 17 April 2013.

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New stamps from New Zealand

 

New Zealand Post will issue new stamps on 5 June 2013 featuring Matariki 2013.  The set of six stamps is incorporated into a miniature sheet and two first day covers.

Matariki 2013 - Koru

When the star cluster known as Matariki appears in the night sky it signals the Maori New Year and a time of new beginnings. The Matariki 2013 stamp issue celebrates the koru - a pattern symbolising new life and regeneration.Matariki is a significant event for Māori, and is widely acknowledged to signal a change of seasons. In traditional Māori society, Matariki was believed to foretell whether the year ahead would be plentiful. It was also a time of festivity, when communities would come together to reflect on the past and look ahead to new beginnings.

The message of new beginnings is represented in the koru pattern, which is derived from an unfurling silver fern frond. Each of the six self-adhesive stamps in this issue incorporates the koru pattern along with aspects of traditional Māori culture that have particular significance during the time of Matariki.

70c - Piko

The koru pattern is used in many Māori and New Zealand art forms and symbolises new life, regeneration, growth, strength and peace. For many this form is the symbol of renewal and of hope for the future. In this stamp the piko is blooming and will grow into a rauponga (fern leaf). The artwork surrounding the fern represents the domain of Tāne Mahuta - the God of the Forest.

70c - Manu Tukutuku

Sometimes the koru can be used in a non-literal way to symbolise aspects of Māoridom, and is often seen in carving and ta moko (tattooing). In this stamp the koru pattern symbolises the winds of Tāwhirimātea (the God of the Weather), and soaring on those winds is a kite, or a messenger between Heaven and Earth. In the background the sunrise depicts the first day of Matariki, and the sky - the domain of Tāwhirimātea.

$1.40 - Nguru

The pattern that covers the nguru (flute) in this stamp is made from a series of koru shapes that depict the music making pleasing shapes in the silence. In the background is the face of Hine Raukatauri, the Goddess of Flute Music, who loved her nguru so much that she decided to live in it forever.

$1.90 - Pataka

This stamp design talks about Matariki as a time of abundance, feasting and the opportunity to flourish. The pātaka, or storehouse, is covered in koru, and represents the concept of planting and storing kai (food), the gathering of kai, and nourishment and wellbeing. This is the domain of Rongo-mā-Tāne, the God of Kūmara and Cultivated Food.

$2.40 - Kotiate

The mangopare design seen swirling around the kotiate (club) is a traditional Māori interpretation of a hammerhead shark, featuring symmetrical koru as the distinctive head. It symbolises strength, determination and an unwillingness to yield. It is very much the warrior symbol, and speaks of the attributes that a warrior must possess. The kotiate and mangopare together represent the domain of Tūmatauenga, the God of War and Balance.

$2.90 - Patiki

The pātiki (flounder) design, with its swirling koru inside the shape of the pātiki, is used in many carvings - particularly in pātaka and waka (canoes). It is the symbol of hospitality, and can represent the catching of fish from the domain of Tangaroa, the God of the Ocean.

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