Title: West-Harju Folk Costumes Hageri ans Nissi
Date of Issue: 14 April 2012
Country: Estonia
Denominations: 0.45, 1.00 EUR

Source: http://www.post.ee

Title: Rising Sun badge
Date of Issue: 17 April 2012
Country: Australia
Denominations: 60c x 5

Source: www.auspost.com.au

Clothing is an important ethnic feature of the nation. The origins of Belarusian clothing tradition lie in the ancient Kiewan Rus’. The moderate continental climate, long winter and mild summer required a closed, warm clothing. Fabrics were made out of flux and wool, decorated with printed or embroiled ornaments, or weaved from using threads of different color.

The nobility were making their clothing mainly using imported fabrics – brocade, velvet, tuft – of different shades of red, blue, and less often green. The embroideries with silk and pearls were used as decorations. The general aesthetic requirement was static and simplicity of the silhouette. The basics of set of male clothing was had a shirt with a belt and trousers, female – a shirt (longer than male) and “paniova” type skirt (wrap-around?).

An outside clothing was usually a “svita” type coat often lined with fur inside for winter clothing. These features were transferred to the clothing in western lands of ancient Rus’, where in XIII-XVI a Belarusian nationality was formed. The costume of Belarusians conserved it’s ties with costume of Russians and Ukrainians, but also acquired the features of our other neighbors – Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians and other European nations. The formation of Belarusian costume has coincided with the development of new, more complicated techniques of cut, the sophistication of dressmaking in Western Europe, which leaded to significant changes of European clothing.

Title: Belarusian national clothes
Date of Issue: 12 April 2012
Country: Belarus
Denominations: H, P

Source: http://www.belpost.by

Source: www.pos.com.my

Miniature Sheets descriptions:
# 1 – Pekan Rabu, Kedah
# 2 – Pasar Minggu Satok, Sarawak

Title: Local Markets
Date of Issue: 23 March 2010
Country: Malaysia
Denominations: 30 sen x 2, 50 sen x 2, Miniature Sheet RM1 + RM2 (2 designs)

Source: Mohd Nizamuddin Safie, Malaysia

Today, beyond the image depicted by painters and poets, the Polynesian woman holds a major position in the current society and is a pillar of the family circle.

To illustrate this, Joëlle Claudel Gandouin, through her paintings, depicts a Polynesian woman with natural beauty but also the protective mother of a family, loving and caring for her child. The painter remains fascinated in the midst of red and ochre hues that characterise her painting.

The Post and Telecommunications Office wanted to show the diversity and significance of women in French Polynesia. Each year, on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is celebrated in the whole world.

Title: Women in Polynesia
Date of Issue: 8 March 2010
Country: Tahiti
Denominations: 0,70 f and 0,75 f

Title: Country Romance
Date of Issue: 8 March 2010
Country: Finland
Denominations: 1st class

Source: www.posti.fi

1. The Lin An-tai Historical Home in Taipei (NT$5.00): First built in 1783, this compound with two courtyards and several side wings is characteristic of the Anxi style of residential architecture in northern Taiwan. It is an outstanding example of a merchant’s home from that era. Due to a road widening project, the structure was taken apart in 1978 and then reassembled in Binjiang Park by the Taipei City Government in 1984.

2. The Li Family Compound in Luzhou, Taipei County (NT$5.00): First built in 1857 and renovated in 1903, this compound has three courtyards and several side wings. It is representative of large traditional rural dwellings in northern Taiwan. The Li Family Compound has the simple, solid style of a farmer’s home and the stately spirit of a residence of an important official or member of the gentry. It is a historical abode with a strong cultural flavor.

3. The Lin Family Compound in Wufeng, Taichung County (NT$5.00): First built in 1858, this house has several courtyards and side wings. It is the largest historical government official’s residence in Taiwan. Parts of the complex collapsed during the 921 Earthquake. They have largely been restored in the years since.

4. Xiaoyun Villa in Shengang, Taichung County (NT$12.00): First built in 1866, this compound has two courtyards and several side wings. It is a home that is romantic, cultural and artistic at the same time. Several later additions to the compound are a mixture of Japanese and western architectural styles. The villa could serve as a museum to the history of residential architecture in Taiwan all by itself.

Title: Traditional Taiwanese Residences Postage Stamps (II)
Date of Issue: 9 February 2010
Country: Taiwan
Denominations: NT$5.00 x 3, NT$12.00

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Kalamkari:
Kalamkari refers to a method of painting natural dyes onto cotton or silk fabric with a bamboo pen or kalam. The name kalamkari translates as pen (kalam) work (kari) in Hindi/Urdu, and was most likely derived from trade relationships between Persian and Indian merchants as early as the 10th century CE. European merchants also had names for this type of fabric decoration: the Portugese called it pintado, the Dutch used the name sitz, and the British preferred chintz. The name kalamkari is used prominently today, and is synonymous with both painted and hand blockprinted textiles that incorporate natural vegetable/organically-derived dye stuffs. While there are many forms of kalamkari throughout India and the world, the focus of this site is on extant kalamkari practice in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh, in South India.

Apa Tani Weave:
The Apatani, or Tanii, are a tribal group of about 26,000 (approximately) in Ziro valley in the Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh India.The Apatani make beautiful hand weaves. The weaving method is still the old fashioned one, the apparatus is a simple reed loom and the actual weaving is performed with a semi-curved bamboo tube. Every house hold in the villages has its own indigenous weaving set. The handloom products include skirts, shirts, cotton shawls, jackets, side bags and curtains. They still prefer the bark fibers extracted from trees, goat hair, and human hair for weaving. The weaving products are ceremonial costumes like coats, shawls, embroidered cotton cloth, handbag, skirts and lungis (loin cloths), sashes, carpets etc.

Kancheepuram silk:
The glamour of the Kancheepuram silk saree lies in its colour contrasts. Pyramidical temple borders, checks, stripes and floral “buttas” are traditional designs you will find in a Kancheepuram saree. In a genuine Kancheepuram saree, the border, body and pallav are woven separately and then interlocked together. The joint is woven so strongly that even if the saree tears, the pallav (or border) will not detach.

Banaras Silk:
Banaras is one of the rich weaving craft centre of India, famous for Brocade saris and allover dress material. Exclusive varieties of the saris are Jangla, Tanchoi, Vaskat, Cutwork, Tishu, and Butidar which are made of silk warp and silk weft, on plain/satian ground base, brocaded with extra weft patterns in different layouts introducing Buties, Bells, creepers, Buttas in ground, border and Anchal for getting glamours appearance.

Title: Traditional Indian Textiles
Date of Issue: 10 December 2009
Country: India
Denominations: 500p x 4

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