Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1985

1st set(1985):
2.00 A lady of rank, Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) -flowery cap, silk cloak and gauze gown.
5.00 Palace woman, Sung dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) -short-sleeved jacket, pendants on the sash.
8.00 Lady of rank, Yuan dynasty (1280-1368 A.D.) -high headdress, cloak with train.
11.00 A Ming dynasty beauty (1368-1644 A.D.)-front-fastened jacket, skirt.

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1986

2nd set:(1986)
2.00 Scorpion-Tail Tuft and Embroidery Costume, Lady of Shang (1766-1122 B.C.)
5.00 Circuitous Robe, Lady of Warring States (403-221 B.C.)
8.00 Assembly and Silkworm Dress for Empress of Later Han Dynasty (25-221 A.D.)
10.00 Flying Ribbon and Falling Strip Dress, Lady of Wei and Tsin (221-420 A.D.) .

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1987

3rd set(1987):
1.50 Early Ching Dynasty Han Woman\'s Long Tunic and Skirt.
3.00 Costume of the Wife of a Ching Dynasty Manchu Bannerman.
7.50 Early Republican Period Manchu-style Chi-Pao.
18.00 Early Republican Period Jacket and Skirt.

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1988

4th set(1988):
2.00 Shang Dynasty Noble with Tall Hat
3.00 Warring States Ruler in Flowery Garment
7.50 Wei-Chin Period Official with Writing Brush in Hair
12.00 Northern Dynasties (502-581 A.D.) Official with Hanging Brush on Hat

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1990

5th set(1990):
2.00 The Official Costume with Lung-Kuan Hat and Collar, Sui and Tang Dynasties (589-907)
3.00 The Robe with P\'u-Tou Hat and Pan-Ling Collar, Tang and Sung Dynasties (618-1280)
7.50 The Costume of Wa-Leng Hat and Queue-Line Robe, Chin and Yuan Dynasties (1115-1368)
12.00 The Costume of Black-Gauze Hat and the Robe with Crane Patch, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1991

6th set(1991):
2.00 Winter Court Hat and Mang Robe, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
3.00 Summer Court Hat and Surcoat, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
7.50 Official\'s Winter Overcoat, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
12.00 Common Hat and Traveling Robe, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)

Republic of China (Taiwan) - Traditional Costumes 1985/1986/1987/1988/1990/1991

Issued in 1985-1991, by Post of Formosa(Taiwan), Rep of China.

Complete 6 sets of Traditional Chinese Costume series Stamps. From 6-1 to 6-6.

12 pieces show Traditional male Chinese Costume & 12 pieces show Traditional female Chinese Costume.

1st set(1985):
2.00 A lady of rank, Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.) -flowery cap, silk cloak and gauze gown.
5.00 Palace woman, Sung dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) -short-sleeved jacket, pendants on the sash.
8.00 Lady of rank, Yuan dynasty (1280-1368 A.D.) -high headdress, cloak with train.
11.00 A Ming dynasty beauty (1368-1644 A.D.)-front-fastened jacket, skirt.

2nd set:(1986)
2.00 Scorpion-Tail Tuft and Embroidery Costume, Lady of Shang (1766-1122 B.C.)
5.00 Circuitous Robe, Lady of Warring States (403-221 B.C.)
8.00 Assembly and Silkworm Dress for Empress of Later Han Dynasty (25-221 A.D.)
10.00 Flying Ribbon and Falling Strip Dress, Lady of Wei and Tsin (221-420 A.D.) .

3rd set(1987):
1.50 Early Ching Dynasty Han Woman\'s Long Tunic and Skirt.
3.00 Costume of the Wife of a Ching Dynasty Manchu Bannerman.
7.50 Early Republican Period Manchu-style Chi-Pao.
18.00 Early Republican Period Jacket and Skirt.

4th set(1988):
2.00 Shang Dynasty Noble with Tall Hat
3.00 Warring States Ruler in Flowery Garment
7.50 Wei-Chin Period Official with Writing Brush in Hair
12.00 Northern Dynasties (502-581 A.D.) Official with Hanging Brush on Hat

5th set(1990):
2.00 The Official Costume with Lung-Kuan Hat and Collar, Sui and Tang Dynasties (589-907)
3.00 The Robe with P\'u-Tou Hat and Pan-Ling Collar, Tang and Sung Dynasties (618-1280)
7.50 The Costume of Wa-Leng Hat and Queue-Line Robe, Chin and Yuan Dynasties (1115-1368)
12.00 The Costume of Black-Gauze Hat and the Robe with Crane Patch, Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

6th set(1991):
2.00 Winter Court Hat and Mang Robe, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
3.00 Summer Court Hat and Surcoat, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
7.50 Official\'s Winter Overcoat, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)
12.00 Common Hat and Traveling Robe, Ching Dynasty (1644-1911)

Moldova - Coat of Arms 1993

Arms of Moldova

image by António Martins

From what I have read (an Encyclopedia Americana flag article written by Whitney Smith) the coat of arms is an eagle holding a cross in its beak and an olive branch and sceptre in its claws. On top of the eagle is a shield "per fess" (split in half horizontally) red on top and blue below, with a stylized ox head over all between a rose and a crescent. The eagle is from the old Romanian coat of arms and ultimately from Byzantium; the ox head represents the old province of Bessarabia; the cross is obviously Christian; the sceptre and olive branch are probably for sovereignty and peace; as for the flower and crescent, I have no idea.

Near the bison's head are situated, not a rose and a crescent. Why such strange design? Because, as I know, this is an astral symbol of the sun and the moon taken from Dacian coins (Daci were ancestors of the Moldovans and Romanians in ancient times). Also, the octagonal star above the bison's head is the Dacian symbol of wisdom. The three parts of the eagle's tail represent three part of the Republic of Moldova: Gagauzia (or Gagauz Eri as it calls itself) in the south, the central region as the biggest part, and the breakaway Dniestr region (Transnistria in Romanian or Pridnestrov'e in Russian). And if you compare our coat of arms and the Romanian coat of arms you can see that the Romanian eagle has a sword but our eagle has an olive branch (it's also a difference between the two nations).

The coat of arms of Moldova consists of a stylized eagle holding a cross in its beak and a sceptre and an olive branch in its claws. According to the author of the coat of arms, the eagle symbolizes the Latin origin of the people.^[1]

The chest of the eagle is protected by a shield that bears the traditional insigns of Moldavia: an aurochs head with the sun among its horns. It also contains two rhombi (the ears), a five-petal flower and a moon in a crescent phase. Everything on the shield has one of the three traditional colours: red, yellow, blue.

The coat of arms appears in the centre of the flag of Moldova.

Tajikistan - Tajik National Holidays "Navruz" 2002

1.00 Somoni - Tajik National Holidays "Navruz" - Growing Wheat - Symbol of Navruz Holiday
0.50 Somoni - Tajik National Holidays "Navruz" - Dancing Girls with Doiras in Their Hands
1.00 Somoni - Tajik National Holidays "Navruz" - Dancing Girls & Juno Nicolai Flower

Date of Issue: 29 August 2002
Primary Theme: Holy Days & Celebrations
Size: 28mm x 40mm
Denomination: 0.50 & 1.00 TJS
Layout/ Format: Miniature Sheet of 3 of 3 Designs
Number in Set: 3
Perforations: 14.10 x 14.10
Stamp Issuing Authority: 'Markazi Marka' State Enterprise Ministry of Communications
Printer: Publishing House of Printing Belarus

Grenadines of Saint Vincent - Traditional Dances 1985

Traditional Dances:
45 Cent The Donkey Man
75 Cent The Cake Dances
1 Dollar The Bois-Bois Man
2 Dollar The Maypole Dances