Scott No: 1389-99
Serial number: T28, T28m
Values in set: 10
Date of issue: May 5, 1978
Denomination: 300 fen
Designer: Liu Shuoren
Size of stamps:
30*40mm for Value 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
40*30mm for Value 7, 8, 9, 10
Perforation:
11.5*11 for Value 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
11*11.5 for Value 7, 8, 9, 10
Sheet composition:
50 (10*5) for Value 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6;
50 (10*5) for Value 7, 8, 9, 10
Size of S/S: 148*98mm
Stamp of S/S: 90*40
Perforation of S/S: 11.5*11
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T28 "Galloping Horses" special stamps were issued on May 5, 1978. The set consists of 10 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Liu Shuoren, with original paintings by Xu Beihong, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. The first 6 stamps measure 30 mm × 40 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11; the latter 4 measure 40 mm × 30 mm, perforation gauge 11 × 11.5; 50 stamps per sheet; the total face value of the set is 3 yuan. A souvenir sheet was issued together with the set, with a face value of 5 yuan and a circulation of 250,000 copies.

Theme of the Set

This set selects Xu Beihong's ink-wash galloping horse works from different periods. The galloping horses under Xu Beihong's brush integrate Western realistic modeling with Chinese freehand brush-and-ink, combining form and spirit. Issued in the early period of reform and opening up, the set uses the soaring, high-spirited imagery of the steed to carry the era's spirit of vigorous effort and indomitable advance. It is both a tribute to Xu Beihong's painting art and an inspiration to the Chinese people to forge ahead with the spirit of the dragon and horse. In the 1980 National Best Stamp selection, the set was voted the Best Special Stamp of the 30th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from Xu Beihong's Galloping Horse of 1951. The steed's four hooves are off the ground, its sinews and bones strong and vigorous, and the painting bears the inscribed poem "The mountains and rivers have been through a hundred battles and returned to democracy; the rugged road has been cleared into a broad flat highway," expressing the feeling of ushering in a stable situation after turmoil.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1945 work by Xu Beihong. The steed raises its head and moves forward, its mane and long tail flying in the wind, with free and elegant brushwork. It is a painting the artist gave to a friend, fully displaying the steed's high-spirited and expansive posture.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1948 work by Xu Beihong. The steed gallops head-on with abundant momentum, and the inscription carries the expectation of the coming of a prosperous age, imagining the ancient heavenly horse coming from the western extremes and the four quarters submitting.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1942 work by Xu Beihong. The steed advances indomitably, and the inscribed poem reads "Water and grass are found wherever one ordinarily goes; we pledge to die for the long march together," full of the lofty aspiration to fight bravely and rush to the country's aid during the War of Resistance.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from Xu Beihong's 1941 work in Penang, Malaysia. The steed gallops steadily and swiftly; it was painted while the artist was overseas raising funds to relieve refugees, and the brushwork is full of concern for the homeland.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1944 work by Xu Beihong. The steed gallops with all its strength, and the inscription reads "I ask what your strong feet are wrapped for—to seek fresh grass you gallop all day long," using the steed as a self-metaphor to express the sentiment of unceasing seeking.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from Xu Beihong's summer 1942 work, in a horizontal composition. The steed runs with great strides, its hoofbeats steady and powerful; the picture is concise, with condensed and weighty brushwork.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1939 work by Xu Beihong. The steed raises its head and gallops swiftly; it was created during the artist's time in Singapore, painted for a charity sale to raise funds for the War of Resistance.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from a 1938 work by Xu Beihong. The steed gallops forward; it was created amid the flames of the War of Resistance, using the galloping horse to symbolize the unyielding national spirit of resistance.

Galloping Horse

The picture is taken from Xu Beihong's winter 1944 work. The steed's posture is vigorous, galloping against the wind, with unrestrained brushwork and a vigorous charm.

Galloping Horses (Souvenir Sheet)

The main subject of the souvenir sheet is taken from Galloping Horses, painted by Xu Beihong in Chongqing in 1942. There are six steeds in total, each with a different posture—some raising their heads and galloping, some looking back and responding to one another—the herd galloping together with a mighty momentum. The souvenir sheet's border uses a pattern imitating silk damask, simulating the mounting effect of Chinese painting, antique and elegant. It is a classic souvenir sheet of extremely high renown among JT stamps.

Artistic Design Features

The set uses both vertical and horizontal stamp formats, preserving the brush-and-ink charm of Xu Beihong's original ink-wash works. Black-and-white ink wash is supplemented with light color, with concise lines and powerful brushstrokes, integrating the sense of power of the steed's bones and muscles with the ethereal quality of Chinese freehand painting. The photogravure printing accurately restores the layers of ink wash, with natural variations of density, dryness, and wetness. The ten single-horse postures are none repeated, each with its own charm; the souvenir sheet gathers the herd, with an even grander momentum. The whole set brings famous Chinese paintings into stamps, combining artistic quality with the era's meaning, and it is the pinnacle work among art-themed stamps of the JT period.