Scott No: 2259-62
Serial number: T147
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: February 10, 1990
Denomination: 218 fen
Designers: Wan Weisheng
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50 (10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

The special stamp set Narcissus, catalog number T147, was issued on February 10, 1990. It consists of four stamps, produced using the photogravure process. The stamps measure 30×40 mm, with a perforation gauge of 11.5×11 degrees. Each sheet contains 50 stamps (10×5). The stamps were designed by Wan Weisheng and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

Thematic Focus of the Set

Narcissus has long been praised as the "Fairy of the Waves" and is a traditional famous flower for welcoming spring in China. Zhangzhou narcissus from Fujian is the most well-known, divided into two major categories: the single-petaled "Golden Cup and Silver Terrace" and the double-petaled "Jade Exquisite." This stamp set transitions from close-up details to a panoramic view of carved narcissus bonsai, showcasing the pure and elegant beauty of narcissus while also presenting the traditional horticultural craft of Zhangzhou narcissus carving. It expresses beautiful wishes for New Year auspiciousness and noble purity.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Golden Cup and Silver Terrace

The image is a close-up of a single-petaled narcissus. White petals surround a golden cup-shaped corona. It is a classic native variety with a dignified flower form and a light, elegant fragrance.

Thousand-Petaled Pure Silhouette

The image depicts the double-petaled "Jade Exquisite" narcissus. The petals are layered and complex, without a prominent golden corona. It is pure white and elegant, with a soft and graceful appearance.

Waterfall Welcoming Spring

The image shows a carved narcissus. After the bulb is carved, the roots spread and hang down like a white waterfall, with flowers and leaves arranged in a scattered pattern. It is a classic style of narcissus carving.

Jade Stamens Fill the Hall

The image is a full and well-shaped narcissus bonsai. The bulb has been artificially carved, with numerous flower stalks and abundant blossoms filling the pot, symbolizing auspiciousness filling the home in the New Year.

Artistic and Design Features

The set uses a lens-like composition progressing from near to far and from close-up to panorama, gradually revealing the narcissus flowers and bonsai forms. Each of the four stamps uses a different dark background—brown, cyan, blue, and green—to set off the pure white petals and emerald green leaves of the narcissus, with soft and transparent layers. The style is realistic and delicate, with natural light and shadow. It expresses both the beauty of the flowers themselves and the unique aesthetic of narcissus carving horticulture, with a fresh and elegant style.