Stamps that are an embodiment of genuine Taiwanese national treasures are now available to the general public, presentingthe marvelous crafts techniques and prehistoric culture of Taiwan from more than 3,000 years ago in the form of postage stamps.
Postage stamps featuring historic artifacts previously issued by Chunghwa Post were all themed on ancient China, but the "Prehistoric Artifacts of Taiwan” stampset features genuine national treasures belonging to Taiwan. Moreover, even the famed Jadeite Cabbage with Insects and Meat-shaped Stone in the National Palace Museum collection are not classified as national treasures.
This time, Chunghwa Post issued five national treasure stamps, including a four-stamp set and a souvenir sheet, for the public to collect and spread the wisdom of Taiwan's ancestors through international mail.
Director Chang Shan-nan (張善楠) of the National Museum of Prehistory said, to introduce the beauty of Taiwan's prehistoric artifacts, the museum has cooperated with Chunghwa Post in issuing a set of stamps featuring five rare national treasures dated from 2,300 to 3,500 years ago, including a zoo-anthropomorphic jade earring, jade tubes, bell-shaped jade beads, and a trumpet-shaped jade bangle unearthed at the Peinan archaeological site in Taitung County, and a frog-shaped jade ornament unearthed at the Yenliao archaeological site in Hualien County.
The issuance of national treasure postage stamps is a very important milestone in advocating cultural heritage preservation. The National Museum of Prehistory hopes that the public will take the time to visit these original national treasures of Taiwan, to witness the superb crafts technique used by prehistoric civilizations to produce jade crafts, and to understand the genuine history of Taiwan.
'Prehistoric Artifacts of Taiwan' Stamps (available here)
1. Zoo-anthropomorphic jade earring: This beautifully and uniquely shaped earring depicts two individuals with an animal above their heads. The animal has a pricked ear, arched back, and raised tail. As for the two round-headed individuals standing together with hands on their hips and their legs open, each person is positioned on convex horizontal bar and the knees are adorned with lines.
2. Trumpet-shaped jade bangle (喇叭形玉環): This arm ornament with a slightly L-shaped cross section is carved from a single block of jade with meticulous workmanship. One side of the bangle is a rare stereoscopic jade object, flaring out like the mouth of a trumpet. The arc of the flare is very smooth and round, and the jade is of good quality — green and translucent.
3. Bell-shaped jade beads (鈴形玉串飾): Strung with 152 small bell-shaped jade beads, this beautifully shaped and excellently produced piece was probably used as a headdress. The top of each bead is small and flat and each bead has a small hole for threading. The jade is translucent in color.
4. Jade tubes (玉管): This set of five 29-centimeter jade tubes of the same specifications is the longest among similar extant jade objects. The tubes are Taiwan jade carved into a cylindrical shape, polished, and then drilled from both sides to make them hollow so that they can be threaded together to become an ornament worn on the chest.
5. Frog-shaped jade ornament (蛙形玉飾): This excellent ground frog-shaped ornament features a pair of large eyes and two limbs carved on its back. There is a mouth-like intaglio on its front part and the jade is of good quality. A cord can be threaded through the large eyes and mouth-like intaglio to make it into a necklace pendant.