Scott No: 3108-09
Serial number: 2001-9
Values in set: 2
Denomination: 160 fen
Date of issue: 12 June 2001
Designer: Ren Guoen
Size of stamp: 30*40mm
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

This stamp set, Ceramics, was issued on June 12, 2001. It is a special stamp set consisting of two stamps with a total face value of 1.60 yuan. The designer is Ren Guoen. It was printed using photogravure by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees, and each stamp measures 30×40 mm. It is a joint issue between China and Belgium.

This stamp set is a joint issue between China and Belgium. It features two highly representative ancient Chinese ceramic artifacts: one is a prehistoric painted pottery vessel, and the other is a Qing Dynasty export famille rose porcelain piece. Spanning thousands of years of ceramic history, it showcases the long development of Chinese ceramic art, bears witness to the ancient porcelain trade and cultural exchange between China and Europe, and highlights the long history of mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Painted Pottery Bottle

This artifact is a painted pottery bottle with a human-face and salamander pattern. It belongs to the Miaodigou type of painted pottery from the Neolithic period, dating back more than five thousand years. It was unearthed in 1958 in Xiping, Gangu, Gansu, and is now housed in the Gansu Provincial Museum. The bottle is made of reddish clay pottery, with two handles on the sides of the body. The body is painted in black with a human-face and salamander pattern. The image is unusual and archaic, making it a national treasure-level artifact among prehistoric painted pottery. The salamander pattern is full of primitive magical and totemic color, reflecting the aesthetics and spiritual beliefs of ancient peoples. It is a model of China's early pottery-making craft.

Famille Rose Pot

This famille rose pot is a custom-made export porcelain piece produced in Jingdezhen during the Qing Dynasty specifically for the European market. It is now housed in the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels, Belgium. The vessel's shape blends the form of a European silver pot. The body is painted with traditional Chinese auspicious motifs such as peonies and phoenixes, and the spout is shaped like a phoenix head. In the 18th century, large quantities of such custom porcelain were shipped to Europe through maritime trade and were highly favored by European nobility. Famille rose is an overglaze enamel porcelain with rich and soft color layers. This artifact is a physical witness to the trade and cultural exchange between China and Europe.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a realistic still-life photography style, with a simple and elegant background that highlights the artifacts themselves. The two stamps form a striking contrast between ancient and modern, and between pottery and porcelain: the prehistoric painted pottery is substantial and simple, while the Qing Dynasty famille rose pot is ornate and elaborate. The designs accurately reproduce the forms, glaze colors, and decorative details of the artifacts. The stamps bear the inscription "China–Belgium Joint Issue." Through the medium of stamps, the set showcases the artistic charm of Chinese ceramics spanning thousands of years and commemorates the long-standing cultural exchange between China and Belgium.