Scott No: 1530-40
Serial number: T37, T37m
Values in set: 10
Date of issue: November 10, 1979
Denomination: 300 fen
Designer: Ren Yu
Size of stamps: 40*30mm
Perforation: 11*11.5
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Size of S/S: 135*90mm
Stamp of S/S: 90*40
Perforation: 11.5*11
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T37 "Yunnan Camellia" special stamps were issued on November 10, 1979. The set consists of 10 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Ren Yu, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 40 mm × 30 mm, perforation gauge 11 × 11.5, 50 stamps per sheet. T37M "Yunnan Camellia" souvenir sheet was issued on the same day.

Theme of the Set

Yunnan is the core place of origin of the camellia. It has a great variety of camellia species and brilliant colors, and the camellia is a precious flowering tree renowned throughout the world. This set selects ten classic rare camellia varieties, displaying Yunnan's rich horticultural resources of camellia and showing the public the beauty of China's distinctive flowers. It is another large-scale famous-flower thematic set after Special 44 Chrysanthemum and Special 61 Peony, and it holds a prominent place among flower-themed stamps.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Chrysanthemum Petal

The flower color is pale pink, with fine, densely layered petals and a neat, round flower form, plain and soft—a classic double-petaled camellia variety.

Lion's Head

The flower color is deep red, with intricate, curled petals and a large, full flower form, graceful and unrestrained—a traditional variety of high renown among Yunnan camellias.

Golden Camellia

The flower color is golden yellow; it is a rare yellow camellia, with warm, translucent petals, unique in style.

Small Osmanthus Leaf

The flower color is pale pink, and the leaves are long and narrow like osmanthus leaves; the flower form is delicate and fresh, elegant and refined.

Child's Face

The flower color is tender pink; when first opening, the color is light, like a child's tender pink face, and the flower posture is light and gentle.

Large Agate

Red and pink alternate, with markings like agate veins, mottled and gorgeous in color, highly recognizable.

Peony Camellia

The flower form is full and expansive, resembling a peony; the petals are layered, dignified and luxurious.

Purple Robe

The flower color is deep purple-red, rich and weighty in hue, with a large flower form, profound and antique in tone.

Six-Angled Hen Tian Gao

The plant is low-growing, with a six-angled flower form; it is a precious dwarf variety of Yunnan camellia, with a dignified flower posture.

Willow-Leaf Silver Red

The leaves are long and narrow like willow leaves, the flower color is silver-red, the tone is bright, and the flower posture is expansive and graceful.

Yunnan Camellia (Souvenir Sheet)

The main subject is a combination of Baozhu camellia and other camellia flowers. Several camellia blossoms gather in one picture, with red, pink, and yellow setting off one another, on a base imitating the texture of silk damask, like a mounted flower painting, rich and elegant.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a horizontal composition and a realistic flower painting style. Each stamp focuses on one variety, emphasizing the restoration of petal layers and color texture, with leaves naturally and simply set off, without superfluous scenery. The ten varieties differ in flower color and form, with rich variations of red, pink, golden yellow, and deep purple. The photogravure printing restores colors delicately and warmly, fully expressing the camellia's gorgeous and weighty texture. The souvenir sheet has a full composition, and the silk-damask base is ingeniously designed. The whole set is a classic representative work of JT flower stamps.