Scott No: -
Serial number: 2013-14
Values in set: 6 + 1
Date of issue: June 16, 2013
Denomination: 680 fen
Size of stamps: 30 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
12 for Sheet II (2 sets)
Size of sheet:
150 * 240 mm for Sheet I;
174 * 180 mm for Sheet II
Denomination of S/S: 600 fen
Size of S/S: 94 * 130 mm
Size of S/S Stamp: 74 * 82 mm
Perforation of S/S: 13
Designer: Xia Jinqiu
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Liaoning Provincal Postage Stamp Printing Works

The 2013-13 "Gilt-Bronze Buddhist Statues" special stamp set was issued by China Post on June 16, 2013, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Buddhist Association of China and to showcase the pinnacle of Han Chinese gilt-bronze Buddhist sculpture art. The set consists of six stamps, accompanied by a souvenir sheet. This is the first official special stamp set issued by China Post systematically themed on gilt-bronze Buddhist statues.

Gilt-bronze Buddhist statues are a core medium of Chinese Buddhist art. They refer to Buddhist figures—including Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and guardian deities—cast in copper or bronze with gold-gilded surfaces, possessing both religious devotional and artistic collectible value. Gilding is a traditional Chinese metalworking technique in which a gold-mercury amalgam is applied to a copper object and then heated to evaporate the mercury, leaving a layer of gold firmly bonded to the surface. This technique was widely used in imperial workshops of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, producing numerous exquisite masterpieces that have been handed down through the ages. The earliest existing gilt-bronze Buddhist statue in China is a standing Shakyamuni Buddha dated to 158 CE, unearthed from a Eastern Han Dynasty tomb in Chengren Village, Shaanxi Province, pushing the history of indigenous Chinese Buddhist sculpture back to the late Eastern Han period.

The set of six stamps features six representative gilt-bronze Buddhist statues spanning from the Five Dynasties to the Ming Dynasty, presenting a complete narrative of stylistic evolution across different eras:

Five Dynasties: Gilt-Bronze Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) Bodhisattva – Softens religious mysticism, reflecting the secular aesthetic and tranquil Zen spirit of the early Sinicization of Guanyin worship.

Song Dynasty: Gilt-Bronze Ksitigarbha (Dizang) Bodhisattva – With a smiling countenance and flowing robe lines, this is a typical example of the "humanized Buddhist image" characteristic of the Song Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty: Gilt-Bronze Shakyamuni Buddha – Dignified and solemn, this is a classic work of Ming imperial court sculpture, exuding royal majesty.

Ming Dynasty: Gilt-Bronze Amitayus Buddha – Adorned with inlaid gems, this statue conveys the serene atmosphere of Pure Land faith.

Ming Dynasty: Gilt-Bronze Manjusri Bodhisattva – Combines religious sanctity with the political symbolism of Han-Tibetan cultural exchange during the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty: Gilt-Bronze Samantabhadra (Puxian) Bodhisattva – Seated on a six-tusked white elephant, this statue vividly conveys Samantabhadra's vow of universal salvation.

The souvenir sheet features a Ming Dynasty gilt-bronze seated Guanyin in the "Lalitasana" (royal ease) pose.

The entire stamp set employs high-precision printing techniques, maximizing the reproduction of the gilded metallic texture and detailed patterns of the gilt-bronze statues, along with a full range of official anti-counterfeiting technologies, and was produced by a specialized stamp printing factory. As a thematic philatelic item commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Buddhist Association of China, this set serves as a special "national calling card" documenting the legacy of China's Buddhist artistic heritage.