Scott No: 737-745
Serial number: S58
Values in set: 9
Date of issue: December 10, 1963
Denomination: 66 fen
Designer: Lu Tianjiao
Size of stamps: 33*22mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

S58 "Folk Toys" special stamps were issued on December 10, 1963. The set consists of 9 stamps, printed by offset, designed by Lu Tianjiao, with collection materials provided by Li Cunsong and Zhang Ding, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 33 mm × 27.5 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 50 stamps per sheet (5 × 10), without gum, with a total face value of 0.66 yuan for the set; circulations: the three 4-fen stamps 2.5 million copies each, the three 8-fen stamps 3.5 million copies each, and the three 10-fen stamps 1.5 million copies each.

Theme of the Set

Folk toys, commonly called "playthings," are a traditional folk arts and crafts rooted in the countryside, mostly made from local materials such as clay, cotton cloth, wheat straw, and wood, with exaggerated, naive forms and auspicious meanings, accompanying generations of children as they grow up. The designer selected nine groups of toys from collections gathered in various places, covering Wuxi, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Bengbu, Qingdao, Handan, Shijiazhuang, and other regions, including clay sculpture, cloth work, wheat straw, and wood carving crafts. This set brings together rural toys scattered across north and south within the square inch of stamps, displaying the rich and colorful folk craftsmanship and preserving the plain, vivid folk childlike charm.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Chicken (Clay · Wuxi), Sheep (Clay · Beijing)

The design places two clay sculptures side by side: the Wuxi clay chicken is bright and lively in color with a full form; the Beijing clay sheep is gentle and naive. The clay sculpture styles of Jiangnan and the capital are juxtaposed, one refined and one plain—a contrast between northern and southern clay toys.

Spring Ox (Clay · Shanghai)

The Shanghai clay spring ox has an elaborate, gorgeous painted body. The spring ox custom originates from encouraging farming and welcoming spring, implying favorable weather and a bountiful harvest; it is a long-circulated auspicious toy in farming culture.

Cloth Donkey (Bengbu), Clay Bird (Qingdao)

The Anhui Bengbu cloth donkey is sewn from scraps of cloth with a stocky build; the Qingdao clay bird is small and exquisite, often with a whistle opening that sounds when blown—a sound toy loved by children in the old days.

Camel (Clay · Beijing)

The Beijing clay camel has concise lines, raised humps, and elegant colors. The camel is a common subject of traditional northern clay sculpture, symbolizing long journeys and perseverance; such clay toys were often sold at old Beijing temple fairs.

White Rabbit (Cloth · Beijing), Stick Figure (Wood · Handan), Rooster (Clay · Beijing)

Three small pieces in one frame: the cloth white rabbit is soft and lovely; the Handan stick figure is a classic northern wood-carved doll that sways when shaken; the clay rooster is intense in color, and folk belief holds that the rooster wards off evil and attracts blessings.

Lion (Clay · Tianjin)

The Tianjin clay lion is fierce in form yet full of childlike charm; it is a folk clay sculpture popular around the "Clay Figure Zhang" lineage. Folk lion toys imply guarding the house and praying for blessings and were very popular at festivals.

Little Cloth Tiger (Qingdao), Big Cloth Tiger (Beijing)

A large and a small cloth tiger; the cloth tiger is the most widely circulated folk cloth toy in China. The tiger's head is exaggerated, with bright brows and eyes, carrying the beautiful wish of protecting children's peace and health; northern and southern cloth tigers each have their own characteristics.

Flower Rooster (Wheat Straw · Shanghai)

The Shanghai wheat-straw flower rooster is made by cutting and pasting wheat stalks, using the natural luster and texture of the straw, light and translucent—a unique straw handicraft toy.

Tumbler Doll (Clay and Paper · Shijiazhuang), Cloth Tiger (Beijing)

The finale of the set. The paper-and-clay tumbler doll has its center of gravity at the bottom and cannot be pushed over, with a round face and painted clothes—a household-known classic toy, paired with a cloth tiger at its side, full of childlike charm.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a small horizontal format. The nine stamps are divided into three groups, with each group of three sharing one background color; solid and void alternate, and the background colors and borders change in turn, creating a beautiful, varied rhythm when connected. Offset flat printing with intense, lively colors faithfully restores the rustic aesthetic of bright reds and greens of folk toys, without superfluous shadow rendering, highlighting the toys' exaggerated, lovable forms.