Scott No: 1665-1670
Serial number: T61
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: March 31, 1981
Denomination: 110 fen
Designer: Wu Jiankun
Size of stamps:
31*38.5mm for Value 1, 2, 3;
38.5*31mm for Value 4, 5, 6
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition:
50 (5*10) for Value 1, 2, 3;
50 (10*5) for Value 4, 5, 6
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T61 "Bonsai Art" special stamps were issued on March 31, 1981. The set consists of 6 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Wu Jiankun, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Perforation gauge 11.5; the first three stamps measure 31 mm × 38.5 mm, and the last three measure 38.5 mm × 31 mm, with 50 stamps per sheet for all.

Theme of the Set

This set selects traditional Chinese tree-stump bonsai as its theme. Bonsai is a traditional plastic art unique to China and has long been known as "silent poetry, three-dimensional painting." It combines trees, pots, and ornamental stones to condense the natural scenery of mountains and forests within a square pot. This set selects six classic tree-species bonsai, displaying the shaping techniques of different schools, presenting the aesthetic connotation of bonsai art—shrinking the dragon to an inch and learning from nature—and carrying forward China's long-standing bonsai culture.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Chinese Elm

The image shows a Chinese elm bonsai in the exposed-root style, with an old trunk vigorous and gnarled, roots exposed and intertwined, and branches winding and spreading. The Chinese elm's bark is mottled and antique; it is a commonly used tree species in Lingnan bonsai, with a rich antique flavor.

Chinese Juniper

The image shows a Chinese juniper bonsai, with the main trunk bent and spiraling, tiers of branches overlapping, and a full, round crown. It is a traditional curved-trunk-style bonsai, with winding lines and a steady, elegant posture.

Ginkgo

The image shows a ginkgo bonsai, with a tall, antique main trunk paired with the ginkgo's iconic fan-shaped leaves, old tree and new branches, and a form that is straight yet varied, carrying a refined and dignified temperament of its own.

Savin Juniper

The image shows a savin juniper bonsai in the reclining-trunk style, with the main trunk slanting out beyond the pot and branches spreading and extending to one side, like an ancient tree by the water, rich in a perilous and extraordinary sense of dynamism.

Oil Persimmon

The image shows an oil persimmon bonsai, with light and graceful branches dotted with fruit at the tips and a sparse, transparent tree form. Flowers and fruit set each other off, combining the beauty of tree form with the ornamental interest of flowers and fruit.

Weeping Cypress

The image shows a weeping cypress bonsai in the cliff-hanging style, with the main trunk drooping downward and stretching out into the air, with a free and bold posture, simulating the natural posture of an ancient cypress on a cliff growing against the wind.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a realistic still-life sketching style, with dark backgrounds setting off the bonsai subjects, and clean, steady images. Each stamp is paired with a traditional fretwork border, adding classical Chinese charm. The six bonsai respectively use classic shaping techniques such as the exposed-root style, curved-trunk style, straight-trunk style, reclining-trunk style, and cliff-hanging style, with different tree species and postures. The images faithfully restore the details of the bonsai's branches, pots, and ornamental stones, completely presenting the artistic characteristic of bonsai—"originating from nature, yet higher than nature." It is China's first special stamp set specifically presenting bonsai art.