Scott No: 2407-11
Serial number: 1992-11
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: September 15, 1992
Designers: Wu Jiankun, Ren Xu
Size:
40*54mm for Value 1,2
54*40mm for Value 3,4
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 28
Printing process: offset

The special stamp set Dunhuang Murals (Part IV), catalog number 1992-11, was issued on September 15, 1992. It consists of four stamps, produced using the photogravure process. The stamp sizes are 40×54 mm for (4-1) and (4-2), and 54×40 mm for (4-3) and (4-4), with a perforation gauge of 11 degrees. Each sheet contains 28 stamps. The accompanying souvenir sheet was produced using offset printing. The souvenir sheet measures 90×130 mm, and the stamp image measures 52.2×70 mm. The stamps were designed by Wu Jiankun and Ren Yu, with photography by Qi Duo, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

Thematic Focus of the Set

This set continues the issuance thread of the Dunhuang Murals series. All stamps feature masterpiece murals from the Early Tang period at the Mogao Caves. The Early Tang was a peak stage in the development of Dunhuang mural art. The figures are full and expansive, and the colors are rich and splendid. They carry the Pure Land Buddhist faith while also preserving precious scenes of Silk Road exchange. The four images cover Buddhist and bodhisattva figures, Pure Land music and dance, mythological immortal journeys, and Silk Road history, showcasing the integration of religious art and secular narrative in Early Tang murals and capturing the artistic achievements of Chinese-foreign cultural exchange along the Silk Road.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Tang – Bodhisattva

The image is a standing bodhisattva from the Early Tang period. The face is gentle and soft, the figure is full and expansive, the silk ribbons are light and flowing, and the colors are classical and warm. It is an aesthetic model of Tang Dynasty bodhisattva sculpture, reflecting the gentle and dignified temperament formed after the localization of Buddhist art.

Tang – Court Musicians and Dancers

The image is taken from a music and dance scene in the Bhaisajyaguru Sutra transformation mural. Multiple musicians and dancers play instruments, blow wind instruments, or dance. The instruments are rich, and the dance postures are lively. It recreates the scene of singing and dancing in the Pure Land world, reflecting the preservation of Tang Dynasty court music and dance and folk performing arts in cave art.

Tang – Riding a Dragon to Ascend to Heaven

The image depicts an immortal riding a green dragon soaring through the air, surrounded by clouds and flowing ribbons. The immortal and the auspicious dragon gallop among the clouds. It belongs to the mythological guiding scenes in the murals, with bold and romantic imagination and a soaring, dynamic romantic atmosphere.

Tang – Mission to the Western Regions

The image depicts ancient envoys traveling on horseback with attendants. It recreates the historical story of the Han Dynasty's mission to the Western Regions and the opening of the Silk Road. It paints the historical fact of Silk Road exploration into the Buddhist cave murals, confirming Dunhuang's historical position as a Silk Road hub.

Souvenir Sheet: Tang – Guanyin Bodhisattva

The main image of the souvenir sheet is a Guanyin Bodhisattva from the Early Tang period. The sculpture is grand and magnificent, with intricate and exquisite halos and ornaments, fully presenting the luxurious and elegant overall appearance of Early Tang Guanyin sculptures. It complements the partial images of the stamp set.

Artistic and Design Features

The set faithfully reproduces the aged tones of the murals after a thousand years of weathering. The colors are steady and substantial, restoring the simple and ancient texture of mineral pigments. The stamp formats alternate between horizontal and vertical. The four subjects—figures, music and dance, mythology, and history—have different styles, providing rich narrative dimensions. The souvenir sheet elevates the theme with the main deity sculpture. It maintains a unified aesthetic paradigm with the previous three sets of Dunhuang mural stamps, rich in ancient charm. It is a representative work in the Dunhuang Murals stamp series showcasing the Early Tang style.