The tiger is known as the king of beasts with its majestic posture, gorgeous stripes, and especially the appearance of the word "king" on its head, and has been favored by people. In the traditional culture of the Chinese nation, the tiger has always been a symbol of lofty power and prestige, often compared to the dragon, and is also believed to be able to drive away evil spirits, eliminate demons, calm houses, and bestow blessings. Therefore, tiger motifs abound throughout the long history of Chinese culture. In the new Chinese stamps, the Zodiac Tiger stamp is a major category of "Tiger" stamps, which have been issued in 1986, 1998 and 2010 three rounds, and this year is the fourth round. The Zodiac Tiger stamps are exquisitely designed and distinctive, and there is a majestic style on the square inch.
On January 5, 1986, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued the first round of stamps in the series of 12 zodiac stamps, a full set of 1. Designer Zhang Guofan adopted the traditional folk decoration of paper-cutting techniques, with blue and purple as the base, so that the tiger presents a rich and simple image, the pattern is simple and simple, and then with yellow embellishments to highlight a few bright color places, such as eyes, whiskers, forehead kings, strands, tails, etc., strong generalization, but also both form and spirit. The tiger's eye-catching eyes, powerful body, graceful tiger stripes, and majestic appearance are quite kingly, majestic and aggressive, and at the same time show a trace of childishness and naivety, giving people a strong sense of art. Looking at the shape of the tiger again, there is not only the charm of cloth toys, but also the style of paper-cutting, but it does not distort the essence of the tiger, and it is filled with a festive atmosphere in the rich national art, which makes people feel intimidating and cordial. The Zodiac Tiger stamps are bright in color and have a sense of concave and convex, which is very valuable for art collection.
The second round of the Zodiac Tiger Post "Wuyin Year" (2-1t) was released in 1998.
On January 5, 1998, the second round of Chinese zodiac tiger stamps "Wu Yin Year" was issued, a full set of 2 stamps, the names of which were "Tiger and Tiger" and "Qi Guan Changhong". "Tiger and Tiger" is based on the frontal portrait of a tiger in Licheng, Changzhi, Shanxi Province, with the limbs of the little tiger spread out, the tiger's head facing the front, its two ears erected, and its thick and powerful tail erected high, showing a dashing and generous, righteous and awe-inspiring tiger statue, full of majestic and heavy temperament, showing lively and vigorous vitality. Originating from the folk custom of using the tiger as a totem in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the Licheng Tiger has evolved over the past 3,000 years and is known as "China's first tiger" because of its historical legends, primitive worship and folk aesthetics. The people gave Li Chenghu the connotations of blessing and increasing longevity, dispelling evil spirits in the town, and making money healthy. The image of this mighty and lovely "cloth tiger" with a tail on the stamp was made by Gao Qiuying, a peasant woman, and was later designed by Wang Huming and Ma Gang, and carved by Jiang Weijie and Li Qingfa, and became the stamp design. Gao Qiuying, who was born in Licheng, Changzhi, Shanxi Province, began sewing cloth tigers at the age of 20, and over the decades, she has sewed more than 500 cloth tigers by hand.
The second round of the Zodiac Tiger Post "Wuyin Year" (2-2t) was released in 1998.
The character "Tiger" is taken from the "Poems of General Pei" written by Yan Zhenqing, a great calligrapher in the early Tang Dynasty, as a pattern. The whole picture is won by simplicity, and the word "tiger" is coherent, and the metaphor is smooth and accessible. This version of the Zodiac Tiger Ticket "Tiger Tiger Shengwei" and "Qi through Changhong" pattern is mainly a picture and a text, a bright night, two flat and two standing. The designer has integrated the characteristics of China's traditional folk handicraft skills and calligraphy, coupled with the organic combination of painting and sculpture and other artistic techniques, fully embodying China's long history and culture. The issuance of this round of zodiac tickets in 1998 made China's traditional culture more systematic and comprehensive display on the world's stage.
The special stamp "Year of Geng Yin" issued on January 5, 2010 is the third round of stamps in the Zodiac Tiger series, a full set of 1 stamps. The 2010 Year of the Tiger stamps are festive in colour, modern and symbolic of a prosperous life. Designer Ma Gang uses the modern plastic art style and the expression method of computer three-dimensional modeling to build a majestic and lively image of the tiger. The "Tiger King" in the picture is standing upright, with his hands on his hips, his expression is rich, majestic, and his gorgeous and graceful stripes reveal the tiger's innate kingly spirit. Behind the tiger is a red ribbon that spreads into the word "Fu", implying that the Year of the Tiger is coming to the door, and there is a vermilion "Yin" character on the right side of the tiger's head. **The use of anthropomorphic techniques makes the ferocious tiger affectionate and lovable. The animation fashion elements added to the stamp design are also the first time in China's zodiac stamps. This majestic and lively tiger stamps are called "the most awesome tiger" by philatelic enthusiasts.
The fourth round of the Zodiac Tiger Post "Year of Renyin" (2-1T) will be released in 2022.
On January 5, 2022, the fourth round of the Zodiac Tiger stamp "Year of Renyin" officially went on sale, a full set of two. The designer is Feng Dazhong, a famous tiger painter in China. This set of stamps for the Year of the Tiger is designed to interpret the concepts of "country" and "home". The first stamp, titled "Prosperity of the Country", depicts the image of a majestic tiger standing tall and ambitious, conveying the meaning of the country's prosperity and ambition.
The fourth round of the Zodiac Tiger Post "Year of Renyin" (2-2t) will be released in 2022.
The second stamp, titled "Tiger Yun Auspicious", depicts a gentle mother tiger with two tiger cubs, symbolizing the prosperity of her children and grandchildren and a happy family. The image of the tiger in the zodiac stamp of "The Year of Renyin" has the nature of the tiger and carefully interprets the beauty of the tiger. The stamps are presented by offset engraving and joint printing, which has both anti-counterfeiting and artistic characteristics in the printing process. In addition to the zodiac tiger stamps, animal stamps with tigers as the main picture are another major category of tiger stamps.
In order to publicize the significance of protecting precious animals, on July 20, 1979, the "Siberian Tiger" special stamps were issued, a full set of 3 stamps, the stamp designer is Liu Shuoren, and the main picture of the stamp adopts the original painting of Liu Jidian, a famous Chinese painter who is good at painting tigers. The three stamps depict Siberian tigers whistling with their necks, snuggling up to each other and hunting for food. The first stamp, titled "Echoes of the Rock Valley", depicts a Siberian tiger roaring from its neck. The tiger in the painting, with its vigorous physique and majestic appearance, not only captures the characteristics of the tiger, depicts tiger stripes, but also pays attention to the structure of the body, and depicts its head with more brushwork.
The second stamp, titled "Echoing the Wilderness", depicts a pair of Siberian tigers nestling together in a field. A pair of Siberian tigers in the picture have the opposite charm to the first stamp, mixed with emotional changes and colors.
The third stamp, titled "Howling Grass", depicts a Siberian tiger hunting for food. On the picture, this Siberian tiger, which is about to leap out in an instant, is really eyeing the tiger and moving the wind, and from the momentary stillness in front of him, it seems that he has already felt the momentum of the Siberian tiger's brave struggle. The pattern of the entire set of stamps is framed in a dark color, creating a framing effect that enhances the meaning of Chinese painting. In the lower left or upper right corner of the picture, there is a red seal with the word "Siberian Tiger", which cleverly points out the theme.
The "Siberian Tiger" stamp of the National Key Protected Wild Animal (Grade)" was issued in 2000.
On February 25, 2000, in order to further publicize the significance of protecting rare wild animals, the State Post Bureau issued a special stamp entitled "Wild Animals under National Key Protection (Grade)", a full set of 10 sheets, of which (10-9) is "Siberian Tiger". The motif depicts the image of a Siberian tiger. The ticket type adopts a vertical type, using a more realistic expression technique, choosing angles and dynamics that have not been used in the past as much as possible in the modeling, paying attention to the physiological characteristics and facial characteristics of the Siberian tiger, and paying attention to showing the living environment and seasonal changes of the Siberian tiger.
The South China Tiger special stamp issued on August 23, 2004 was issued to commemorate the 19th International Zoological Congress in Beijing, China, and is a set of two stamps. The stamp depicts a close-up of the head of a male South China tiger and a female South China tiger playing with her baby tiger in the original drawing by Liu Jibiao. The first stamp depicts the South China Tiger, with its bright fur and elegant ornamentation, standing tall and staring ahead with its eyes blazing, showing the demeanor of a king who walks alone in the mountains. If anyone dares to invade its territory, it will be fierce.
In the second stamp, the mother tiger is lying on her side, with a tiger cub crawling on her back and a tiger cub crouching in front of her, as if they are fighting with great interest. The tiger mother not only does not interfere with the play of a pair of children, but also loves her very much, as if she is still appreciating the childlike fun of the tiger cubs and enjoying a kind of warm and sweet family fun. The pattern fully embodies the designer's design concept of "to the vast, as subtle as possible" and "every inch of the world, can accommodate the world". The two designs of this set of stamps are painted in a fine style and smooth strokes, and the whole picture is depicted by a group of fine brushstrokes, so that the fur of the South China Tiger has both strength and density, as well as a sense of space, and fully expresses the charm of the South China Tiger. The background of the picture is rendered in light tones, which achieves the artistic effect of "a little is better than a little". In the lower left corner of the picture are the Chinese name of "South China Tiger" and the Latin literary name, which not only points out the title of the painting, but also integrates science and art.
As the saying goes, "Heaven opens, the earth repels ugliness, life is good, and everything exists". The tiger is the king of beasts, with a strong body and a mighty spirit, and has been quite popular among the Chinese people since ancient times. From ancient times to the present, people have worshipped, respected, praised, loved, and feared the tiger, which has become a unique cultural phenomenon and continues in the spiritual life of the Chinese nation. In China's traditional culture, the tiger is a beast that represents auspiciousness, majesty, and glory, and is also a symbol of strength. People use the image of the tiger to convey their love and blessings, and use the image of the tiger to reflect their pursuit and attachment, and use the image of the tiger as the spiritual support of their majesty and power. The small stamps also show the long history of the "tiger culture". The image of the tiger that appears on the stamp fully demonstrates people's imagination of the "king of beasts". These tigers are either mighty, bowable, realistic, or abstract, adding a lot of joy to life for modern people.