Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hong Kong. Show all posts

Thursday, 16 October 2014

elegant blue & white

Since China invented the porcelain there was always a fascination towards those fine & elegant products. Traditional blue and white porcelain is regarded as one of the most unique forms of Chinese ceramics, highly collectible and often used for decoration. This kind of porcelain came to represent the mainstream of Chinese porcelain during the Ming and Qing dynasties when porcelain was produced. Different quality products were made: exquisite works for imperial court and simple ware for common people’s daily use.
Some details of technological  process... Firstly patterns with cobalt blue pigments are applied to a plain ceramic body, upon which a clear layer of glaze is added. At the end the item is put in an oven at high temperatures. The card showing a decorated dish is the light version of a MaxiCard since identical stamps were issued in September 2014. And the the postal stamp used to mail this one is the same with the one mentioned in an earlier post of this blog.

Thank YOU, Wenwah !

Country: China / Hong Kong
Description: Dish decorated with floral design in underglaze blue, Qing dynasty

Monday, 25 August 2014

Hong Kong trams

This card came into my mailbox as a part of a forum RR. It shows a watercolor painting made by Chinese painter Shen Ping. The main subject are the double-Decker trams that go through the major areas of Hong Kong Island.The fare for an adult only costs 2.30 HKD (about 0.22 Euros) and therefore is one of the cheapest way of transportation here. BUT it can get stuck in traffic and is quite crowded and hot inside. At least this is what Mavis wrote.
About the stamp. The 3.70 HKD (2014) shows Kang Lau Shek (Watchtower Stones) located in the easternmost corner of Tung Ping Chau. Made up primarily of thinly laminated siltstone, they were formed about 55 million years ago. There was an initial sea-arch but gradually constant coastal erosion made it collapse, leaving behind this two sea stack formations.

Thank You, Mavis !

Country: Hong Kong
Description: Street Watercolor
Photo: Shen Ping