Sunday, May 13, 2007

St. George & the Dragon

So far I've covered some stamps and covers celebrating the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Of course, stories and legends about dragons (and related stamps) go well beyond that. Dragons are a common theme in a number of Asian cultures - not just in China, but Japan, Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere.

In Western lore, one of the most famous stories is that of St. George & the Dragon. St. George is also traditionally the patron saint of England (though that status has changed in recent times). Nonetheless, St. George & the Dragon appear (or have appeared) on British sovereign coins, currency and postage stamps, including:

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Macau Year of the Dragon

Here's another Year of the Dragon first day cover, this time from the territory of Macau. The Chinese New Year is widely celebrated in many parts of Asia, and a number of countries regularly issue stamps in conjunction with holiday.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Another early addition

This is a colorful cover by Desert Cachets - the scan doesn't really do it justice. Normally I prefer more subdued designs, but I really like the bold colors on this cover.