Scott No: 3161-2
Serial number:2002-1
Values in set: 2
Denomination: 3.60 yuan
Date of issue:5th January 2002
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamps: 26*31 mm
Perforation:12
Sheet composition: 32 for Sheet I, 9 for Sheet II
Printing process: engraving-gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The stamp set is cataloged as 2002-1, titled Renwu Year. It was issued on January 5, 2002. The set consists of two stamps in a combined offset and intaglio printing edition, printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The designer is Wang Huming, with engraving by Li Qingfa, Jiang Weijie, and Hao Ou. The total face value is 3.6 yuan. Each stamp measures 26×31 mm, with a perforation gauge of 12 degrees. Each sheet contains 32 stamps. A prize-redemption miniature sheet was also issued. This set is the eleventh issue in the second cycle of zodiac stamps, continuing the classic format of one image and one text per stamp from the second zodiac cycle, combining folk craftsmanship and traditional calligraphy to welcome the Year of the Horse.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Success Upon Arrival

The design is based on a clay horse created by Hu Shen, a inheritor of Fengxiang clay sculpture in Shaanxi. Fengxiang clay sculpture is a national-level folk intangible cultural heritage, rooted in Guanzhong folk customs and often used for New Year blessings. The design uses a full red background. The clay horse has a round and full form, with a simple and vivid appearance. Black and white lines outline the horse's features, mane, and saddle. The saddle is decorated with auspicious bell patterns, and the eyes are expressive, conveying a rustic yet lively character. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes progress, strength, and future prospects. The theme of "Success Upon Arrival" expresses the New Year wish for smooth progress in all matters and success in one's career. The lower left corner features the characters "Renwu Year" and a seal with the character for horse, highlighting the zodiac theme.

Great Fortune in the Renwu Year

The main subject is a traditional red square paper (doufang) for the New Year. In the center is the character "horse" written in dignified and substantial regular script, with floral patterns at the four corners, enhancing the festive New Year atmosphere. The stamp background is white, with various ancient script forms of the character "horse" faintly arranged in the background, showcasing the rich variations of Chinese calligraphy. The doufang is a folk auspicious decoration posted during the New Year. This stamp takes the meaning of "Great Fortune in the Renwu Year," symbolizing good luck and well-being in the Year of the Horse. It also continues the design arrangement of the second zodiac cycle's text stamps using regular script, integrating zodiac culture with calligraphic heritage.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamps use a combined offset and intaglio printing technique. The engraved lines are solid and clear, fully presenting the textured surface of the clay sculpture and the pauses and cadences of the calligraphic brushwork. The two stamps follow the structure of the second zodiac cycle—one image and one text—with one featuring a three-dimensional folk clay sculpture and the other featuring traditional calligraphic text, one popular and one refined, echoing each other. The overall colors are rich and festive, fitting the Spring Festival folk atmosphere. By combining northwestern folk clay sculpture intangible heritage with traditional calligraphic doufang, the stamps showcase the deep folk roots of zodiac culture in a small format.