Hungary - Lunare new year stamp,

I bought these stamps recently. Hungary post started issue Lunar new year stamp with Year of the Horse 2014, a minisheet of 4 stamps. Year of the cock 2017 they got a break.

In my opinion, year of the tiger is the best one.

 

Canada, Orchid cover,

Thank you Marie!

Taiwan, Year of the Pig cover,

A mail from Taiwan arrived with an abundance of nice stamps. Year of the pig for my lunar new year collection and Blue & White porcelain stamps for my BW ceramic collection.

A) Stamp :

1.  Ewer with sprays of fruits and floral scrolls decoration in underglaze blue, Qianlong reign, Qing dynasty (NT$15): This porcelain is short necked and pear shaped. There is a handle on one side, and a spout on the opposite side. There is a banana-leaf pattern on the neck, and on the shoulder a design of twisted branches and passion flowers. There are diamond-shaped enclosures on both sides of the ewer’s belly, with either peaches or loquats centered within and surrounded by peonies, passion flowers and other cut flowers.
2. Tea bowl in underglaze blue with imperial poem San Qing, Qianlong reign, Qing dynasty (NT$12): This cup has a flared rim and is entirely painted in underglaze blue. On both the interior and the exterior of the bowl, around the rim and near the foot, there are blue ruyi patterns on a white background. Written on the body of the bowl is a poem named “San Qing Tea” by Emperor Qianlong. The center of the interior is decorated with plum blossoms, pine trees, and Buddha’s hands, which are the three ingredients of the tea (“san qing” means “three cleansing ingredients”).
3. Vase with eight auspicious treasures in underglaze blue, Qianlong reign, Qing dynasty (NT$16): This vase is short necked and round shouldered with a pair of round handles. There is a pattern of winding branches and passion flowers on the vase’s neck and belly. Under the neck there is a grass pattern, and there are eight auspicious treasures supported by lotuses on the vase’s shoulders. Under the belly, there is a circular pattern of lotus petals.
4. Teapot with lotus scroll in underglaze blue, Qianlong reign, Qing dynasty (NT$13): This teapot has a round handle and is small on top and grows gradually bigger at the bottom, with its belly on the lower portion of the pot. It is decorated with flower scrolls in underglaze blue. The knob is painted with a single flower, while the lid is decorated with a band of ruyi patterns near the knob and a band of lotus scrolls. There are lines on either side of where the lid fits onto the pot. 
5.  Water-container in the shape of a plum blossom with fish and waterweed decoration in underglaze blue, Wanli reign, Ming dynasty (NT$6): This porcelain is in the shape of a five-petalled plum blossom. The inside of the container is filled with blue fish and waterweeds. The sides are decorated with three blue lines. The outside of the container features lingzhi mushrooms, eight auspicious treasures, and double blue lines under the lip.
6. Teapot with decoration of clouds and dragons in underglaze blue, Longqing reign, Ming dynasty (NT$8): The teapot features a short neck, a round and large belly, a curved spout and a square handle. The spout and the handle are decorated with lingzhi scrolls, the neck with a band of clouds, and the shoulder with twin dragons. Furthermore, on the body above a band of lotus petals are four different circular dragons, with patterns of lingzhi and the Buddhist “eight treasures” between them.
7. Bell-shaped bowl with underglaze-blue decoration of phoenixes among flowers, Xuande reign, Ming dynasty (NT$9): In Chinese this porcelain is of a type known as an “upside-down bell bowl” because of its shape. Both the outside of the bowl and the bottom of the inside of the bowl feature a pair of phoenixes, which are flying amid a pattern of lotus blossoms and entwined branches. A grass pattern encircles the inside of the bowl just under the lip. Blue lines can be seen at the mouth, foot and the inside bottom of the bowl.
8. Teacup in underglaze blue with decoration of gentlemen amid a landscape, Jiajing reign, Ming dynasty (NT$18): The cup has a wide rim, round body and short foot. Under the band of scrolls along the rim are two scholars sitting under a tree. One is turning his head to enjoy the lotus blossoms, while the other is appreciating the plum blossoms. There are also two servant boys. One is holding a musical instrument and the other a book. The bottom of the bowl’s interior is decorated with a man gazing at the moon by a lotus pond.

B)

B) Souvenir sheet :

(1)             Souvenir Sheet (NT$28): It takes as its subject “Celestial globe vase with decoration of dragon among lotus blossoms in underglaze blue, Yongle reign, Ming dynasty.” The vase features a straight neck and round belly, as well as a flat and slightly concave base, and takes its name for its supposed similarity to “celestial globes” (i.e. planets). The entire belly of the vase is covered with a three-clawed dragon that has turned his head amid lotus blossoms. His mouth is open, his tongue out, his teeth bared, and his eyes wide open, as his scale-covered body moves with great strides. He is the very picture of a powerful beast.

Thank you Fungstamp!

Aland, Year of the Pig & Year of the Goat maxicards,

 I got these maxicard real-posted recently. They sent from Aland, showing the lunar new year animal : the sheep and the pig.

Thank you a lot Doris!

Indonesia, Year of the Pig 2019 Maxicard,

Thank you shinta!

Canada, Year of the Pig 2019 prepaid card,

Thank you Stinkypaw!

China, Year of the Pig 2019 Issue;

Thank you Cytomembran!

Hongkong, Year of the Pig 2019 cover,

China, Year of the Pig 2019 FDC,

Thank you Dong!

United Nations, Year of the Pig cover,

Thank you Yue Xu!

Year of the Pig 2019

There is a group on postcrossing forum whose members are from countries that issue lunar new year stamps. I don't know for how long that group exits but I begun joining that group in the end of 2014 for the Year of the Goat issue. It is a group that each member send the card to other by using the lunar new year stamp to each other, once per year.

This year, Year of the Pig, I continue this project as representant of Vietnam.

Here are some thing I got from this group:

 Thank you SSLiew for this Thailand  card. He used the both issue Year of the Pig for this card. One issued in Pig year 2007 and the center one is the new.

Thank you MariceNZ for this zoo postcard. The pig is so cool. And the first day postmark is perfect!

Thank you hazelyc for this prepaid postcard. The jade pig is really beautiful. I think you don't know but Jade is my favorite one. Thank you for the first day postmark.

Thank you jannepungar for this Pooh card. I read story about Pooh when I was a youngboy.

Thank you Maxxie for the Shanghai card. I know a litte chinese and I can read the character Shanghai on the postmark. I love your city a lot.

Merci beaucoup Véronique pour ta carte. Très jolie. J'aime bien le timbre comme la couleur, le design sont assez interesant pour cette année. Je déteste autocollant timbres comme quelques années précedentes.

 

Thank you magenta for this special card. When we touch on the card, we can feel something quite interesting. :D

Thank you Kayjin. The round pig looks so cute!

Thank you phoebe! Macau card is always one of my favorite. I love Macau current lunar new year stamps.

Thank you all and hope to see you again next year for the Year of the Rat issue.