Scott No: 1469-70
Serial number: T33
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: March 29, 1979
Denomination: 68 fen
Designer: Shao Bolin
Size of stamps: 40*54mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 28(7*4)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T33 "Chinese Painting · Silk Paintings from Chu Tombs in Changsha" special stamps were issued on March 29, 1979. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Shao Bolin, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 40 mm × 54 mm, perforation gauge 11, 28 stamps per sheet. The designs of the two stamps are taken from silk paintings unearthed from Warring States Chu tombs; they are the earliest extant physical examples of independent figure painting in China and the pioneering work of early JT ancient painting-themed stamps.

Theme of the Set

Silk paintings are ancient paintings drawn on silk. These two silk paintings unearthed from Chu tombs in Changsha were created during the Warring States period and are precious relics of pre-Qin painting, representing the superb painting level of the Chu region more than two thousand years ago. The people of Chu believed in the concept of the soul ascending to heaven; silk paintings were mostly used in funerals and sacrifices, carrying the wish that the deceased's soul return to the heavens. Issuing this set brings national-treasure-level pre-Qin paintings to the public, displays the romantic and strange artistic temperament of Chu culture, fills the gap in early ancient painting stamps, and allows later generations to glimpse the source of the line-drawing tradition of Chinese painting.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Silk Painting of Figures, Dragon, and Phoenix

The original painting comes from the Chu tomb at Chenjiadashan in Changsha. The picture shows a slender-waisted woman standing with hands folded, with a dragon and a phoenix circling and flying above. The dragon and phoenix guide the deceased's soul to ascend, a direct embodiment of the Chu people's idea of ascending to immortality. The image is outlined in ink lines, with winding, smooth lines, antique and lively; the background is the yellowed original color of the silk, preserving the weathered, weighty texture of the unearthed ancient silk.

Silk Painting of a Figure Riding a Dragon

The original painting comes from the Chu tomb at Zidanku in Changsha. In the picture a man wearing a tall crown and carrying a sword stands on a dragon boat; the dragon's body winds along, there is a canopy above, a carp leads the way below the dragon boat, and a crane stands on the dragon's tail. It likewise expresses the theme of riding a dragon to ascend to heaven, with a grander and more complete composition; the figure is dignified and imposing, and the lines are vigorous and unrestrained. It is the best-known of the Chu silk paintings.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a vertical long stamp format, completely accommodating the original composition of the ancient silk paintings. The design has no additional embellishment, preserving to the greatest extent the original silk ground color, the antique lines, and the historical texture of the unearthed artifacts, with vertical inscription-style explanatory text on the left and right, replicating the reading experience of an ancient scroll. The photogravure printing delicately restores the layers of ink lines and faithfully presents the concise brushwork of pre-Qin line drawing. The two paintings, one simple and one complex, have a romantic charm; they both carry the spiritual beliefs of the ancient Chu people and bear witness to the early mature appearance of Chinese figure painting. They are classics of great weight among ancient painting stamps.