Scott No: 1957-73
Serial number: T44, T44m
Values in set: 16 + 1
Date of issue: Januray 15, 1980
Denomination: 391 fen
Designer: Shao Bolinh
Size of stamps: 19.25*62mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Size of S/S: 120*86mm
Stamp of S/S: 38.5*62mm
Perforation: 11.5
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T44 "Selected Works of Qi Baishi" special stamps were issued in two batches: the first 8 stamps on January 15, 1980, and the latter 8 stamps on May 20, 1980. The set consists of 16 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Shao Bolin, with original paintings by Qi Baishi, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 19.25 mm × 62 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 50 stamps per sheet, with the souvenir sheet "Long Live the Motherland" issued simultaneously.

Theme of the Set

Qi Baishi was a master of modern and contemporary Chinese painting, accomplished in poetry, calligraphy, painting, and seal carving, and especially skilled in freehand flowers and birds, insects and fish, and vegetables and fruits. His brushwork is concise and vivid, appealing to both refined and popular tastes. This set selects sixteen representative paintings, covering flowers, birds, insects and fish, vegetables and fruits, and small works, comprehensively displaying Qi Baishi's artistic style of "marvelous in the resemblance and non-resemblance." It is New China's first special painting stamp set devoted to Qi Baishi and was voted the Best Special Stamp of 1980.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Peony

The design paints blooming peonies with full, gorgeous flower heads, paired with lake rocks, with weighty brushwork; it is a classic subject of Qi Baishi's freehand flowers, prosperous yet not vulgar.

Squirrel and Grapes

The design shows twining vines, clusters of grapes hanging down, and a squirrel climbing among the vines, lively and agile; grapes imply many offspring, and the picture is full of vitality.

Wine and Crabs

The design paints fat crabs, a wine pot, and a wine cup, with concise brushwork and vivid depiction of crab shells and legs, full of the literati's leisurely joy of life.

Frog Croaks Ten Li from the Mountain Spring

No frog is seen in the picture; only several tadpoles swim downstream in the rushing mountain spring, using the tadpoles to imply the croaking of frogs in the distance—an extraordinarily ingenious conception and a famous masterpiece of Qi Baishi handed down through the ages.

Chicks

Several chicks gather together, with fluffy down and innocent, naive expressions; just a few strokes capture the chicks' endearing clumsiness.

Lotus

The design is an ink-wash freehand lotus, with lotus leaves spreading out and lotuses refined and elegant, with clear contrasts of light and dark ink, clean and ethereal.

Red Plum

The old trunk is vigorous and gnarled, with dots of red plum blooming; the branches are painted in scorched ink, and the red flowers are passionate, standing proudly against the spring.

Kingfisher

A kingfisher perches on a flowering branch, with bright feathers and a focused gaze; flower and bird are paired, with motion and stillness in harmony.

Gourds

The vines wind and twine, and two ripe gourds hang among the branches, with relaxed brushwork, plain and natural; it is a pastoral subject Qi Baishi often painted.

Autumn Sounds

The design paints autumn grasses and a katydid: broad strokes for the grass, fine strokes for the singing insect—one coarse, one fine—the typical Qi school "fine insect, flower" style, capturing the artistic conception of autumn insect song.

Wisteria

A large swath of wisteria flowers hangs down, purple blossoms like clouds, vines winding gracefully, with romantic colors and hearty, dripping ink-wash freehand.

Chrysanthemum

Autumn chrysanthemums bloom in full, with flowers and leaves scattered, with steady brushwork, expressing the chrysanthemum's character of braving the frost.

Shrimp

Several swimming shrimp, with transparent bodies and light, airy antennae, with exquisite layers of ink—Qi Baishi's most renowned representative subject.

Lychee

Lychee fruits are bright red and full, accompanied by branches and leaves, with bright colors—a fresh southern fruit, vivid and delightful.

Cabbage and Mushrooms

Freehand cabbage paired with mushrooms—plain pastoral ingredients, carrying Qi Baishi's aesthetic of esteeming plainness and staying close to the countryside.

Peaches

Longevity peaches are full and ruddy, with vigorous branches and leaves; peaches imply longevity and are a common auspicious subject of Qi Baishi's later years.

Souvenir Sheet: Long Live the Motherland

The main subject of the design is the brilliantly red, passionate evergreen (Japanese ardisia), above which are the four characters "Long Live the Motherland" in Qi Baishi's own hand, with vigorous and sincere calligraphy. The border is paired with a sketch portrait of Qi Baishi painted by Fan Zeng; the whole is dignified and passionate, carrying the old man's beautiful wishes for the motherland.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a vertical long strip-screen composition, fitting the hanging-scroll format of Chinese painting, with a white background setting off the paintings and preserving the brush-and-ink spirit of the originals to the greatest extent. The Qi school's freehand characteristics are distinct: broad strokes for flowers, leaves, vegetables, and fruits, and fine depiction of grass and insects—the coarse and the exquisite coexisting. The colors are fresh and bright, full of ink-wash charm. The sixteen stamps are rich in subjects, with plants, insects and fish, and vegetables and fruits laid out in sequence, completely presenting Qi Baishi's artistic appearance. It is a classic treasure among traditional Chinese painting-themed stamps.