Scott No: 1859-1863
Serial number: T88, T88m
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: June 30, 1983
Denomination: 96 fen
Designers: Wu Jiankun
Size of stamps: 40*60mm
Perforation: 11*11.5
Sheet composition: 50 (5*10)
Size of S/S: 100*85mm
Stamp of S/S: 60*40mm
Perforation of S/S: 11*11.5
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T88 "The Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the First Emperor's Mausoleum" special stamps were issued on June 30, 1983. The set consists of 4 stamps plus 1 souvenir sheet, printed by photogravure, designed by Wu Jiankun, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

The Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the First Emperor's Mausoleum are located in Lintong, Shaanxi. They are a major archaeological discovery of the Qin dynasty that astonished the world and are hailed as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." This set selects different perspectives and images from the pits, presenting the grand military formation and exquisite sculptural craftsmanship of the terracotta warriors, displaying the appearance of the Qin dynasty army, letting the public appreciate the brilliant achievements of Qin dynasty sculptural art more than two thousand years ago, and recording this precious historical and cultural treasure.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Groups of Terracotta Warriors

The image presents rows of terracotta warriors arranged in formation, with numerous pottery figures standing neatly, each with a different expression, displaying the strict and grand momentum of the Qin army's military formation.

Terracotta Figure

The image is a close-up of a terracotta figure's head, with clear facial contours and finely depicted hair and beard. It can be seen that each terracotta figure's face is unique—a characteristic of the realistic and expressive sculpture of the Qin terracotta warriors.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses

The image shows terracotta figures accompanied by terracotta horses. The warhorses are vigorous in form, and the warriors stand beside them, restoring the combined image of soldiers and horses in the army.

Terracotta Pit

Using a bird's-eye panoramic perspective, the image presents the grand excavation site of Pit No. 1, with the corridors and rows of terracotta figures all taken in at a glance, fully displaying the magnificent scale of the site.

Souvenir Sheet: Horse-Leading Figure

The main subject of the design is a warrior figure leading a horse, gripping the reins, with a tall terracotta horse beside him and a dense group of terracotta figures in the background, capturing the classic image of a warrior leading a horse.

Artistic Design Features

Based on actual archaeological photographs, the set uses the original color of loess, fitting the earthy atmosphere in which the terracotta warriors were unearthed. The four stamps gradually transition from partial close-ups to the panoramic pit site, from the individual to the formation, with clear layers, plain and weighty. This is a very classic special stamp set on the theme of cultural relics and archaeology, and it is also a set of "calling-card" stamps for introducing Chinese civilization to the outside world in the 1980s.