Scott No: 2528-29
Serial number: 1994-15
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: October 9 , 1994
Designers: Zhan Gengxi
Engravers:
(2-1) Jiang Weijie; Li Qingfa
(2-2) Hu Zhenyuan; Yan Bingwu
Size: 32*40mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: gravure-engraving combined

The special stamp set Cranes (Jointly Issued by China and the United States), catalog number 1994-15, was issued on October 9, 1994. It consists of two stamps, produced using a combination of offset and intaglio printing. The stamps measure 32×40 mm, with a perforation gauge of 12 degrees. Each sheet contains 20 stamps (4×5). The stamps were designed by Zhan Gengxi (China) and Clarence Lee (United States), engraved by Hu Zhenyuan, Yan Bingwu, Li Qingfa, and Jiang Weijie, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

Thematic Focus of the Set

This is the first stamp set jointly issued by China and the United States. It features rare and endangered crane species unique to each country. Cranes symbolize auspiciousness and purity in both Eastern and Western cultures. Using the black-necked crane and the whooping crane as carriers, the stamps showcase the unique elegance of these two rare wading birds and express the cooperative consensus between China and the United States in wildlife conservation. Using rare birds as a bond, they convey the beautiful vision of peace, friendship, and joint efforts to protect biodiversity.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Whooping Crane

The image depicts a whooping crane with spread wings and a raised neck, calling out. It is a crane species unique to North America. It was once on the brink of extinction, and its population has only gradually recovered through long-term conservation efforts. It is a flagship species of North American wildlife conservation.

Black-Necked Crane

The image shows a black-necked crane standing in a plateau wetland. It is the only crane species that inhabits high plateaus, mainly breeding on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. It is a national first-class protected animal and a highly representative rare bird of China's plateau ecology.

Artistic and Design Features

The set uses the gongbi (meticulous brushwork) style of Chinese painting, combined with the delicate line texture of engraving. The forms are realistic and vivid, and the feather layers are finely depicted. The background uses simple wetland and meadow environments to set off the main subjects, with fresh and soft colors. The two stamps share a unified style, corresponding to the representative crane species of each country. The images balance scientific accuracy with artistic beauty. It is a classic work in the category of jointly issued animal stamps between China and other countries.