Ci of the Song Dynasty – set of six stamp cards (PR China) (not postcards)
Note that these are stamp cards, not postcards, and in Maximum Card style. Scan 39600038A shows the cover for six different cards, each measuring about 7-1/4″ x 10-1/4″. The set was issued in 2012 by China National Philatelic Corporation. Each card is fully captioned on the reverse, in Chinese and English, explaining Ci (a kind of classical Chinese poetry during the Song Dynasty 960-1279 A.D.) and the particular work portrayed on each card. As an example, the card you see in 39600038B illustrates “Pozhenzi – A Poem to Chen Tongfu in a Heroic Vein,” by Xin Qiji. It’s said to be a patriotic poem full of heroism, and the caption is remarkably colloquial and colourful–almost but not quite enough for us to want to look further into the history. It’s a nice set, and we have two of them. Grades: 1