Colombia 2021 - 60 Years of The Folk Festival and National Bambuco Reign

Date of Issue: 04 July 2021
Size: 40 x 50 millimeters
Denomination: $5,000 Colombian Pesos

Circulation: 18,000 Stamps Each

Printer: Cartor Security Printing

60 years of the Folkloric Festival, National Bambuco Reign and International Folklore Show
A tribute to the 60 years of the Folkloric Festival, National Bambuco Reign and International Folklore Show.

Faroe Islands 2021 - Bishop's Copes

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 20 September 2021
Illustrator: Fotostudio
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, France.
Process: Offset
Size: 30.0 x 40.0 mm
Values: 17.00 & 27.00 DKK

About Bishop's Copes

The vestments worn by priests and bishops follow the liturgical colours of the ecclesiastical year and are also associated with church holidays and public holidays.

In this third and most recent issue on Faroese church textiles, we have now come to the bishop’s cope (a ceremonial cloak worn for liturgical functions other than the Mass). The two previous issues have depicted chasubles in red, green, violet and white.

The bishop wears the cope on special occasions, for example when ordaining priests, on church anniversaries, St. Olaf’s Day, July 29, and when participating in ecclesiastical events abroad. The bishop of the Faroe Islands has three copes in different colours to choose from: one white, one green and one golden. The white cope was introduced in 1963, the green one in 1989 and the golden one was introduced as recently as 2013. Posta has decided to feature the white and the golden bishop’s copes on these two stamps.

The white bishop’s cope

The Danish Paramenthandel - an organization devoted to ensuring high-quality standards for textile art in churches - fashioned the white bishop’s cope in linen in 1963 in accordance with the design of sculptor, Edvard Jensen. The linen was hand-woven in white silk and gold threads in Italy. The bishop’s cope is embellished with a cross on the back, portraying the Lutheran rose is in the centre of the cross. In front there are trimmings reaching across. Sequins and a plant, the Rose of Jericho, are embroidered on the front of the trimmings. The Rose of Jericho is a dry and brown desert plant that can survive for several years without water. But as soon as it gets a little moisture, it blooms in beautiful green colours.

The golden bishop’s cope

This is the most recent bishop’s cope, commissioned for St. Olaf’s Day in 2013.

The cope has a golden colour, symbolizing the eternal light, the glory and power of God. The set of symbols consist of the cross, the ring, the Faroe Islands and the marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris) which is the Faroese national flower. The design was made by Jógvan Sámal Heldarskarð and the dot lace trim pattern was made by Gisley Dahl Bonde. The embroidery was made by Paulina M. K. Eliasen while Ruth Laksáfoss took care of sewing. The buckle was designed by Marni Laksáfoss. The linen was purchased in England.

Textiles and colours

When thinking of church textiles we recognize that the priest’s cassock is best known for its black colour. The cassock, however, has a certain dignity about it and in our tradition the cassock symbolizes the gravitas of life – both in its good and the difficult moments. But the church is full of character with its liturgical colours. It’s not just black and white. There are other life-affirming colours, which, depending on the ecclesiastical year and the actual activities in the church, tell their special stories and reveal the atmosphere, for example joy or sorrow, hope of growth or remorse when something has gone awry. The colour attests to the mood, interprets the text and gets us contemplating. The words are not only encouraging and uplifting – we also have the colours, sounds, the sense of togetherness and the spirit. Together all of this makes for an integrated whole which we know as worship. Chasubles, chairs, altar cloths, tapestries and other similar handicrafts also acquaint us with the active hands which, diligent, meticulous, skilled and loving, lend a dignified appearance to the ecclesiastical proceedings. These textiles bedeck and embellish the Faroese folk church, draping the church in its finest splendour.

With these six stamps together, we now conclude our series on church textiles in the Faroese folk church.

Source: The book “Church Textiles”, 2021, by Paulina M.K. Eliasen

Faroe Islands 2020 - Chasubles (II)

Technical Details:

Issue Date: 21 September 2020
Designer: Paulina M. K. Eliasen and Jóhanna Jensen.
Printer: Cartor Security Printing, France
Process: Offset
Size: 40,0 x 30,0 mm
Values: 12,00 and 20,00 DKK

About Chasubles II

This year's issue in the series depicts chasubles in violet - the colour of the Advent and fasting - and white, the colour of Christmas and Easter.

Last year, Posta issued the first two stamps in a series on Faroese mass chasubles in the liturgical colours - at that time red and green. This year's issue in the series depicts chasubles in violet - the colour of the Advent and fasting - and white, the colour of Christmas and Easter.

The violet chasuble in this year's series belongs to the Church of Viðareiði on the island of Viðoy. The church got this chasuble in 2017 in connection with its 125th anniversary on December 10 - and in connection with the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The chasuble was made by Paulina M. K. Eliasen.

The violet chasuble is made of woolen material, decorated with the Luther Rose in the front and at the back, handsewn in cross-stitch and Gobelin needlework.

The Luther Rose

The Luther Rose is the most recognizable symbol of the Protestant Church. It was Martin Luther's private seal and appears for the first time in a letter from 1517. Reportedly, Luther himself designed the rose. The red heart with the black cross at the centre symbolizes the unreserved faith in Christ the Crucified and the love of His glad-tidings. The white rose symbolizes the joy, comfort and peace of faith in Christ. The blue background has spiritual significance as faith's hope of heavenly joy, which, according to Luther, begins already in this earthly life. The golden circle around the blue signifies that heavenly joy will last forever and is more precious than other joys and pleasures.

The White Chasuble

The white mass chasuble belongs to the Church of Kvívík on Streymoy. It is knitted and decorated with a cross and a ribbon bearing various Christian symbols. The church got this simple and beautiful chasuble in 1989. It was made by Jóhanna Jensen in Nýggjustovu.

Crosses and Symbols

The white chasuble is decorated with a large cross and a ribbon at the bottom. Furthermore, both crosses and ribbons are decorated with various symbols, taken from the carved bars in the church chancel - which, moreover, stem from the old church situated at the site until 1903, when the present church was built. It is a bit unclear what several of the signs symbolize, but one can recognize the Sacrament’s chalice, cross and shamrock which symbolize the Trinity. White is the oldest liturgical colour symbolizing joy, celebration and birth.

Anker Eli Petersen

USA 2021 - Tap Dances

Technical Details:
Date of Issued: 10 July 2021
Denomination: First-Class Mail Forever
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Photographer: Matthew Murphy, New York, NY
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd (APU)
Press Type: Muller A76
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 Stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-Sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Custom Spot Grey
Stamp Size: 24.892 x 39.624 mm

The U.S. Postal Service issued the Tap Dance stamps today during the Tap It Out — Tap City, New York City Tap Festival in Times Square. The Forever stamps are now for sale at Post Offices nationwide. News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtags #TapDance and #TapDancestamps.

“Today, we are celebrating the American art form of tap dance with these vibrant stamps in the heart of Times Square as the Postal Service recognizes one of our nation’s greatest contributions to the world of dance,” said Lorraine G. Castellano, U.S. Postal Service New York district manager and executive in charge.

Joining Castellano to dedicate the stamps were American Tap Dance Foundation Inc. Founding Artistic and Executive Director Tony Waag; tap dancers Ayodele Casel, Michela Marino Lerman and Max Pollak; and stamp photographer Matthew Murphy.

“I’m very excited that people can use these new Tap Dance stamps on their cards and letters as they truly represent this American art form,” Waag said. “For over 40 years, I’ve been dedicated to promoting tap dance as a serous form of expression, so I’m extremely proud that the Postal Service is bringing awareness to this art by issuing these dynamic stamps.”

Background

Historians trace the deep roots of tap dancing to the beginning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, especially to contact between enslaved Africans and Irish and Scottish indentured servants on Caribbean plantations in the 1600s. In Colonial America, a wide range of dance elements with African origins — including a relaxed torso, hip movement, improvisation, using the body as a percussive instrument, and the rhythmic shuffling, gliding or dragging of the feet — became intertwined with the rapid footwork of the Irish jig and the percussion of English clog dancing.

Whether cultures intermingled in the rural South or in crowded city neighborhoods, the result was a budding new set of hybrid dance forms based on a skilled and ever-changing combination of movement and sound.

By the 1920s, tap as we know it had fully emerged and was popular on the Broadway stage. During the 1930s and 1940s, movies tended to highlight white dancers who tapped in a choreographed style that showed the influence of dance schools, while African American dancers were more likely to be seen performing off-screen in a more improvisational style with jazz-influenced rhythms. By the 1950s, interest in tap dancing was waning, but by the 1970s, aspiring tap dancers looked to their elders and learned from their skills and experience.

As young dancers from wide-ranging backgrounds began to study tap again, new generations of professionals infused tap with influences from jazz and hip hop to express their own personalities and experiences. From its roots in popular entertainment, tap has grown into a significant art form praised as a major American contribution to world dance.

As it continues to evolve, tap will be equally at home in the most prestigious performance halls and on the streets, building on tradition while staying fresh with the infusion of new cultural influences.

Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamps from photos taken by photographer Matthew Murphy.

Romania 2020 - The Uniforms of Royalty: The Queens of Romania (III)

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 16 September 2020
Designer: George Ursachi
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Size: 36 x 72 mm
Values: 1.90 L, 3.30 L, 5 L, 19 L.

About The Uniforms of Royalty (III) - The Queens of Romania

Royal clothing has always fascinated both the public and collectors. Romfilatelia continues the series of postage stamps dedicated to this theme, through the issue The Uniforms of Royalty (III). The Queens of Romania, which will enter into circulation on Tuesday, September 15th, 2020.

The dress rules for the crowned heads are very strict, and various materials used to make them, must fall within the standards of decency. However, some queens of Romania sometimes went out of the norms of the time, noticing themselves visibly with the fashion approached abroad.

Queen Elisabeta (1843-1916) used to say that: “The dress you wear is not unimportant. It gives you life!” The Queen’s clothing was often regarded by relatives, or by guests, as true celebrity daring. The white tunic dresses were covered with not exactly royal jewellery, but large-sized fantasies, as well as all sorts of unexpected lace and embroidery. Under a rich coat of fur, the Queen wore a loose garment of very dark red velvet, which looked rather like a dressing gown to be worn inside the house, adorned with mottled embroidery, at the waist with a cord of fine silk, which looked rather like a string. She wore small-brimmed hats with a veil to which she fastened her pince-nez.

Queen Elisabeta was amazed by the fashionable outfits of the West and the traditional Romanian folk costume. She was photographed in Romanian blouses, promoting, with her image, the Kingdom of Romania.

Queen Marie (1875-1938) managed to impose her own clothing style, and in many of the photos we see her in outfits that seem much lighter than those of other sovereigns of the time, but also more avant-garde, which addresses the illustrated fashion of the years 1880-1918, which was naturally due to her numerous visits to Paris. To make the dresses, Queen Marie, as well as her daughters, turned to the famous French fashion designers: Jean Patou, Paul Poiret, Redfern, Cheruite and last but not least Gabrielle Chanel. The traditional folk costume were also appreciated by the Queen, bit it stylized and modernized, without woresed its specific charm. One of the Queen’s favourite jewellery pearl necklace, which also matched the folk costume.

Queen Marie often appeared in military uniforms, but also in nurse uniform, during the World War I.

Queen Elena (1896-1982) a descendent of the Royal Family of Greece, was enchanted to promote authentic Romanian traditions, her photographs in folk costumes being famous at the time. After the proclamation of Mihai as king, in 1927 and 1940, she held the capacity as Queen-Mother, accompanying her son in elegant outfits, inspired by the fashion of the time. Queen Elena’s tiara, with Greek motifs, was a remarkable accessory, being honour on special occasions by Queen Ana and by Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, too.

Queen Ana (1923-2016) was discreet both in public life and in clothing. Her less attention to fashion and gala outfits was inherited from her mother, Princess Margaret of Denmark, who used to say: “I don’t dress, I cover myself”. In an interview in 2008, Queen Ana said that she preferred to take care of the house, and the idea of protocol did not tell her anything. But modesty is the reason why Queen Ana except to remember a period of World War II, when she wore with pride and respect the uniform of the free French military forces, being decorated with the French War Cross.

On the four stamps of the issue are illustrated the Queens Elisabeta (Lei 1.90), Marie (Lei 3.30), Elena (Lei 5) and Ana (Lei 19), dressed in ceremonial attire, with ornaments and tiaras.

Romfilatelia thanks the House of Her Majesty the Custodian of the Crown and the Peles National Museum for the documentary and photographic support granted to the achievement of this postage stamps issue.

The philatelic album is created into a limited run printing of 275 pieces and is equipped with the special block of 4 perforated stamps + 4 imperforated stamps of the issue and the set of two First Day Covers with the postmark cleary imprinted gold foiling. Both products are numbered from 001 to 275.

Romania 2020 - The Uniforms Of The Romanian Royalty (II)

Technical Details:
Issue Date:15 July 2020
Designer: George Ursache
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Size: 36 x 72 mm

About Romanian Postage Stamp Day - The Uniforms Of The Romanian Royalty (II)

Romfilatelia continues the series of topics dedicated to the monarchy, with the postage stamps issue The Uniforms of the Romanian Royalty (II), which will enter into circulation on Wednesday, July 15th, 2020, on the occasion of the Romanian Postage Stamp Day.

All four Kings of Romania wore the military uniform for clothing, as a symbol of the monarchy’s authority.

King Carol I (1839-1914), illustrated on the stamp with the face value of Lei 3.30, wore a military uniform from the very age of ten, when he started military school. Since his accession to the Throne in 1866, he has adopted the officer uniform as official attire, even at private meetings with Romanian politicians. The rules of protocol were similar to those at the Imperial Palace in Berlin, where the military uniform had precedence. At the Coronation Ceremony (May 10th, 1881), King Carol I was equipped in the uniform of an infantry general. He rode in front of the eight horse drawn equipage of the Queen Elisabeta. We find the same preference for the uniform in his will, written on February 14/26th, 1899: “I want to be dressed in the general uniform (petite tenue outfit, as I wore it every day), with war decorations and only the Star of Romania and the Hohenzollern Cross on my chest”.

Until the last moments of his life, Carol I appeared dressed in an officer uniform, a garment in which he was buried.

King Ferdinand I (1865-1927), represented on the stamp with the face value of Lei 5, spent his childhood and adolescence at the family’s residence in Sigmaringen, Germany. In 1885 he completed the courses of the Kassel Officer Candidate School, being appointed second lieutenant in the 1st Guards Regiment of the Royal Court of Prussia. Starting with 1889, he became Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Romania, and settled in Romania, where he continued his military career. He also had a series of honorary commands, being promoted to the rank of army corps general. Ferdinand wore the royal uniform even at private meetings, but after the war the King adopted the “civilian” attire at court meetings. At official ceremonies, however, he continued to wear military attire. At the Coronation of October 15th, 1922, King Ferdinand I wore the General uniform with marshal insignia, over which he placed a cape, made especially for the event. Symbol of supreme authority, the cape is a piece of apparatus, representative of the coronation ceremony.

The artistic conception of the cape belonged to the painter of the Royal Court, Costin Petrescu, and was made in Viennese workshops. It is a unique piece, inspired by the full dress of the Romanian rulers from the Middle Ages. Ferdinand I wanted to be buried in the cavalry general uniform, although he had been promoted to the rank of marshal, “as with this rank I spent the happiest years of my military career”.

As a child, King Carol II (1893-1953), presented on the stamp with the face value of Lei 8.50, appeared dressed in military uniform, in the spirit of the Romanian monarchy. At all the official ceremonies, the King appeared in military dress, with a beret and marshal’s cape. King Carol II’s wardrobe was very diverse. He often appeared in public in attire of marshal of various regiments, or as an admiral, accompanied by accessories such as the cape of “Michael the Brave” order, or numerous decorations, but also some less common, such as it would be the helmet with an eagle on top, copied after the model of the German emperor Wilhelm II. Also, at the meetings of the Straja Tarii, organized under his auspices, he came dressed in the uniform of the supreme commander of the institution, in order to match the uniforms of the young guards. The cult of King Carol II’s personality included elements with a strong symbolic load, visible on the occasion of large parades organized on national holidays. The uniforms had been designed in white and blue, white being associated with the idea of rebirth, and blue with that of loyalty. To the visual impact was added a sound one, by singing the royal anthems and the National Renaissance Front, but also many patriotic songs.

King Mihai I (1921-2017), illustrated on the stamp with the face value of Lei 12, began to wear the military uniform with the accession of his father on the Throne, in 1930. The last sovereign of Romania remembered: “our tradition was for the Crown Prince to become an officer at the age of 16. Or, I had to go to school, and my father thought that it would be good to have a military training in parallel with my education. The uniform, well, was special, because I was too young to walk in the actual uniform. I started as a soldier, a lance caporal, I went through various ranks. Then, my father also enrolled me in the aviation school of Medias. After that, in the years 1935-1936, when I had to accompany my father on official visits, when I was in Poland and Czechoslovakia, I was also dressed in uniform.”

After becoming King in 1940, Mihai I also wore the military uniform, given the international context generated by World War II. Like his predecessors, on the occasion of official meetings, King Mihai I wore uniforms of several armies, with the insignia of various military ranks, up to that of marshal.

The souvenir sheet of the issue, with the face value of Lei 29, is a composition made up of the reproduction of the first Romanian souvenir sheet - Romanian Philatelic Exhibition EFIRO, November 1932, Bucharest, alongside with a portrait of King Carol II, in uniform and with a helmet. The EFIRO 1932 souvenir sheet, reproduced in this postage stamps issue, was issued on the organization of the first EFIRO Philatelic Exhibition, under the patronage of King Carol II, a passionate philatelist, owner of an impressive collection. The piece was printed in Bucharest, in the Stamps Factory (Fabrica de Timbre), through the deep printing process (heliogravure).

In addition to the print run of 50,000 pcs. on white paper, 50 pieces on yellowish Japanese paper were issued. For the personal pieces presented at the exhibition, King Carol II received the Diploma of Honor with a gold plaque.

On the First Day Cover of the issue is reproduced a photography in which kings Carol I, Ferdinand I and Carol II pose in military uniforms.

Romfilatelia thanks the House of Her Majesty the Custodian of the Crown, the National Museum of Art of Romania, the Peles National Museum and the National History Museum of Romania for the documentary and photographic support granted to the achievement of this postage stamps issue.

The philatelic album is created into a limited run printing of 311 pieces and is equipped with the special block of 4 perforated stamps + 4 imperforated stamps of the issue and the set of two First Day Covers with the postmark cleary imprinted gold foiling. Both products are numbered from 001 to 311.

Romania 2019 - The Uniforms of the Romanian Royalty (I)

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 05 December 2019
Designer: George Ursachi
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Stamp Size: 36 x 72 mm
Perforated Souvenir Sheet: 158 x 125 mm; (stamp size: 84 x 52 mm)
Values: 3.10L, 7.00L, 8.50L, 11.50L, 28.50L (Perforated Souvenir Sheet)

About The Uniforms of the Romanian Royalty (I)

As a sign of recognition of the importance of the Romanian Royal family for the history of Romania, both from political and military point of view, Romfilatelia dedicates “The Uniforms of the Romanian Royalty (I)” postage stamps issue, which will be introduced into circulation on December 5th, being composed of 4 stamps and a perforated souvenir sheet, bringing together all the kings of Romania. Promoter and ambassador of the country, the stamp is more than a product, it represents image, tradition, history, cultural identity, and the journeys through this symbol offer fascinating stories about the past, present and why not, about future.

The most recent postage stamps issue presents an impressive part of the national history - respectively that of the Royalty in Romania and the way the military tradition has interwoven with the monarchy. Since its establishment in Romania in 1881, the monarchy has been characterized by the presence of five symbols of the Romanian Royalty (or the regalia of Romania): the Royal crown, the scepter, the Royal mantle, the Royal flag and the Royal cypher. However, if there was a specific element to all the representations of the portraits of the Kings of Romania, that was the presence of the Royal uniform, worn with dignity by Carol I, Ferdinand I “the Unifier”, Carol II, and Mihai I.

On the stamp with the face value of Lei 3.10, KingCarol I (1839 – 1914) is illustrated, the Ruler of the Romanian Principalities (1866) and the First King of Romania (1881), member and honorary president of the Romanian Academy. The reign of King Carol I was the longest in the country’s history. Prince Carol I preferred to appear en petite tenueuniform in almost all circumstances, except for special events, when the protocol required being en grande tenueuniform.

King Ferdinand I (1865 – 1927) is represented on the stamp with the face value of Lei 7. The King also known as Ferdinand I the Unifier, King of Greater Romania (“from the Dniester to the Tisza”), as well as a member and honorary president of the Romanian Academy. During his reign, the unitary Romanian national State was consolidated and fundamental measures were adopted for the development of the country, such as the universal vote and the agrarian reform. King Ferdinand I wore the Royal uniform even at private meetings. After the war, the King adopted a “civilian”outfit at court meetings, at official ceremonies opting for the military outfit.

On the stamp with the face value of Lei 8.50 is depicted King Carol II (1893 – 1953), the King of Romania and honorary member of the Romanian Academy. Although he relinquished his prerogatives as heir to the Crown several times, and his reign did not lack controversy, during his rule Romania experienced the greatest economic advance of the interwar period.

Fascinated by the elegance of the English military uniforms, Carol II modernized the design of the garments of the Romanian military. The most spectacular changes were those in the field of full and ceremony dress, starting with the year 1930.

The stamp with the face value of Lei 11.50, King Mihai I (1921 – 2017) is portrayed, the last King of Romania. His first reign was inaugurated at the age of 6, when his father relinquished the prerogatives of heir to the Crown. His second reign began in one of the most dramatic moments in Romania’s history, following the territorial losses of 1940. Mihai I led the country in a critical period with Ion Antonescu, General of the Romanian Army and the president of the Council of Ministers.

The postage stamps issue is complemented by a imperforated souvenir sheet, as a homage to the 180 year anniversary since the birth of King Carol I, the stamp depicting him in a painting riding in a military uniform, with a face value of 28.50 Lei.

On the First Day Coveris illustrated the paining “King Carol and his suite”, by Carol Popp de Szathmáry a chromolithography from the vast work of the first Romanian art photographer.

Romfilatelia thanks the Peles National Museum, the Romanian Academy Library, the Royal House of Romania, the National Museum of Art of Romania, the National History Museum of Romania, The Cotroceni National Museum and the Museum of Bucharest, for the documentary support given in achieving this postage stamps issue.

The philatelic album is created into a limited run printing of 519 pieces and is equipped with the special block (the imperforated souvenir sheet and the 4 imperforated postage stamps of the issue), and the set of twoFirst Day Covers with the postmark cleary imprinted gold foliling. Both products are numbered, from 001 to 519.

Romania 2020 - Folk Wedding Clothing (II)

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 24 September 2020
Designer: Mihail Vamasescu
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Size: 42 x 52 mm
Values: 1.40L, 3.30L, 5L, 19L

About Folk Wedding Clothing (II)

Romfilatelia continues the series of philatelic themes dedicated to folk costumes, through the “Folk Wedding Clothing (II)” postage stamps issue, which will enter into circulation on Thursday, September 24th, 2020.

Within this theme, wedding folk costumes distinctive for the folk areas of Maramures, Muscel, Arad and Valcea are presented, in pairs.

The costume distinctive for Maramures region, rendered in pairs on the postage stamp with the value of Lei 1.40, strikes through the vigour of the archaic elements and at the same time through the refinement of some stitches on the shirts. The clothing ensemble worn by the bride is composed of a wreath (mununa) that is placed over the tight hair, the shirt with straight, square cuts, unique in the Romanian tailoring template. Finely decorated at the neck, shoulders and cuffs and gathered at the shoulders, the shirt of the female from Maramures stands out through the most artistic stitches, the creases made in “boti”, “cupe”, “colti”, “ravase” or “paturi” being unique. Paired zadii (n.t. aprons), robustly woven and with a strong colouring, give the specific nature. The pieptar (n.t. sheepskin vest) with embroidery and leather panels is also an unmistakable zonal attribute. The bride wears a “zgarda scumpa de corale” (an expensive coral collar) around her neck. The straw clop (n.t. hat) is decorated with collars and tassels, next to the shirt “cu chept” and the wide tights with “roituri” (tassels) on the hem. The pieptar with leather panels and stylized polychrome embroidery is what completes the ensemble worn by the groom.

Referring to Muscel distinctive dress, illustrated on the stamp with the face value of Lei 3.30, it should be mentioned that it is characterized both by the richness of pieces adorned with alesaturi (n.t. fabric adorned with flowers and designs) and stitches specific to folk art, and by the sumptuous ornaments of gold and silver thread, specific to medieval art. The bride’s gown consists of marama (n.t. head dress) and fruntar (n.t. velvet tape, with which women tie their caps to fix their hair well), a shirt with poale (n.t. white skirts), a necklace of coins, a fota (n.t. rectangular wool fabric replacing skirts) and bete (n.t. narrow and long woven belt).

The fine ornaments on the marama are spread evenly over the whole field or concentrated at the ends are distributed in an association and a rhythm that denotes a decorative sense and a remarkable artistic taste. Geometric or floral motifs are obtained by navadire (n.t. passage between threads and reed, in the order required by the fabric template) or alesatura. The fruntar decorated with beads and floral decoration is placed over the marama. The shirt is richly decorated with metallic and wool thread. The white fota, specific to the bride, has a decoration made of silver metal thread on almost the entire surface and is associated with bete decorated in the same way. The shirt with straight cuts and discreet ornaments arranged at the combination of the sheets of cloth, itarii (n.t. trousers), the flared belt and the black vest made of dimie (n.t. thick wool fabric) make up the groom’s clothing distinctive for Muscel.

The wedding folk costume distinctive for Arad region is illustrated in pairs on the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 5.00.

The folk costume of the brides from Arad consists of gateala de cap (n.t. head dress), a shirt and poale (n.t. white skirt), sort (n.t. apron) and boots. On the head, the bride puts over the tight and braided hair a wreath of flowers and mirrors that are knotted at the nape of the neck. The shirt (spacel), the poale and the sort are predominantly white, influenced by the Slovak dress. The shirt is decorated on the collar, on the shoulders, on the sleeves and on the pumnari (cuffs). A necklace of silver coins is worn around the neck. The crinkled poale are fastened at the waist, over which the sort decorated with white or polychrome loom-woven alesaturi is placed. The lambskin or sheepskin vest is decorated with embroidery and leather panels. The groom wears a short and wide shirt, cut straight and crinkled at the sleeves, associated with wide tights, made of cloth sheets joined by decorative “cheite” (n.t. zigzag stitch, joining two pieces of cloth). Over these pieces, the groom wears the zabun, a vest made of materials predominantly made by industrial processes.

One of the most beautiful wedding folk costumes is the one distinctive for Valcea, Oltenia and is illustrated on the postage stamp with the value of Lei 19.00.

The bride’s gown consists of a shirt with a skirt with poale, having a rich decoration on the sleeves (in the system of altita (n.t. embroidery that is done on the shoulders of the traditional blouse), incret (n.t. crinkle) and rauri (n.t. decorative element in the Romanian folk costume, sewn in vertical rows on the ia, shirts, coats), chest and back. It is associated with the valnic, a pleated skirt that was worn only on holidays and ceremonies, being also the attribute of the wealthy people. From a chromatic point of view, thevalnic is predominantly red, and as a decorative technique it is chosen in the loom and fastened at the waist with bete. The traditional element, however, is the red brau that was worn on the bride’s head in the form of a hood, called a sovon, which was worn deep on the forehead. On top, a bunch (chita) of basil was put. The day after the wedding, in a ceremony of old tradition, the bride was wrapped by the godmother with carpa or marama, thus entering the ranks of married women.

The groom’s costume, simpler, but not lacking elegance, consists of a white shirt sewn ton sur ton, itari (thick trousers made of dimie), brau (n.t. woven belt) and bete finished on the long sides with white beads. The lambskin pieptar (n.t. vest) with floral embroidery was worn over the shirt.

All ensembles date back to the beginning of the twentieth century.

Romfilatelia thanks to “Dimitrie Gusti” National Village Museum for the documentary and photographic support provided to the development of this postage stamps issue.

Romania 2020 - Folk Wedding Clothing (I)

Technical Details:
Issue Date: 24 June 2020
Designer: Mihail Vamasescu
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours
Size: 42 x 52 mm
Values: 1.9L, 2.2L, 3.3L, 20.5L

About Folk Wedding Clothing (I)

Romfilatelia continues the series of philatelic topics dedicated to the folk costumes, through the postage stamps issue Folk wedding clothing (I), which will enter into circulation on Wednesday, June 24th, 2020. In the first part dedicated to this topic, folk wedding clothing are presented, in pairs, from the areas of Bucovina, Oas, Vlasca and Banat.

The traditional garment is primarily an element of material culture, and its variety is also influenced by other general factors, for all regions, such as: occupation, season, occasions, age, and sex. The care for the richest, most beautiful and unique ornamentation of the shirts, with various embroideries, was great. New motifs were sought everywhere, they were stolen, worked in secret.

The ornaments differentiate the shirts from one village to another, from one area to another, through their particularities of shape, colour, and technical execution. The variety of the design, the fantasy of the assembly, gives a special harmony to the whole composition. In this sense, the decorative composition of the shirts is, at the same time, wide, relaxed, full of allegory in the choice of symbols for the motifs, but at the same time sober and almost canonical, in their organization.

Wedding, bridal shirts were kept by women until death, they were buried with these shirts, considering them to have a ritual character.

The traditional folk costumes distinctive for Bucovina region are illustrated on the stamp with a face value of Lei 1.90. The bride’s gown consists of a shirt crinkled at the neck with “brezarau”, made of cotton homemade fabric, with the body made of three stani of fabric, with altite and sleeves. The decoration is very rich on altite and sleeves, where it is organized in sidelong rivers. The lower part of the body is covered with poale made of hemp cloth and a fota woven in four threads of wool and metal thread, with polychrome silk rods. The fota was fastened at the waist with a brau (belt) woven in 5 threads of polychrome wool, being decorated with geometric motifs. Over the shirt, the bride wore the pieptar with poale, made of 7 pieces of sheepskin, trimmed on the edges with lambskin, and on the front and the sleeves with “sofranit” (dyed) stone-marten fur. The chests of the pieptar are embroidered with polychrome phytomorphic motifs. The mark of the bride’s dress, the cununa (crown) and the companionship handkerchief are the strength pieces of the clothing, along with the silver thaler necklace.

The groom’s clothing consists of a straight linen shirt with monochrome embroidery on the poale and sleeves. The pants are simple, made of cotton and linen, tailored from a single width of fabric.

The shirt is supported by a wide, polychrome wool belt, woven in 5 threads with geometric motifs. Over the shirt, they wore a long coat with poale, without sleeves, made of 7 pieces of sheepskin, garnished with sheep fur. The decoration of the men’s pieptar is much simpler than in the case of women’s pieptar. The mark of the groom’s clothing is the companionship handkerchief and the hat with “gang” and flower.

The stamp with the face value of Lei 2.20 shows the wedding costumes distinctive for Oas region. The bride’s gown, specific to holidays, presenting the shirt made of homemade fabric woven in two threads, with cotton warp and hemp weft, it typologically fits the shirts with “platca” (yoke). The embroidery is rich, and borders the yoke but also the cuffs, the ornaments having phytomorphic stylizations. The poale (skirts) and the sort (apron, tablier) are of the same type of fabric as the shirt. The skirts are decorated with material circles, and the apron features rich phytomorphic ornaments. Specific to the wedding clothing is the use of the abundant red colour on the shirt, skirt and apron. The specific adornment of the brides was the woollen crown and the zgarda, a collar of corals and silver coins.

The men’s clothing consists of a short shirt with a “platca” (yoke) made of homemade fabric woven in two threads, with cotton warp and hemp weft. The ornaments are distributed in ornamental fields at the collars and at the end of the sleeve. “Gacii” (trousers) are wide, made of 8 stani of hemp cloth, home woven, repeating the ornamental fields on the shirt. The distinctive item of the wedding clothing is the straw hat with ostrich feather and handkerchief embroidered by the bride. Another must-have accessory of the groom’s clothing was the embroidered bag, which was carried over the shoulder.

On the stamp with the face value of Lei 3.30 are represented the wedding folk costumes distinctive for Vlasca region. The bride’s gown consists of a shirt with altita and poale, made of cotton cloth in two threads, with a rich decoration arranged on the sleeves, chest and poale, the dominant being the carmine red colour. In addition to the natural silk embroidery, there are also sequins, fastened with glass beads. The bottom of the dress consists of a valnic (wollen kilt) crinkled in the back, called pesteman, and an apron in the front, made in the karamani technique, with polychrome wool. These two pieces are fastened at the waist with a narrow woollen brau (belt), which is tied up with a pair of paftale. The specific wedding headgear was the borangic marama and the fez with old Ottoman money.

The men’s wedding clothing consists of a straight, long shirt, made of cotton fabric woven in two threads, with rich embroidery on the neck, on the chest and sleeves, made with natural silk and sequins. The wide trousers, made of two stani of cloth, repeat at the end the embroidery on the bottom of the shirt. The waist is tied with a red wool belt woven in four threads. They wore a flowered lambskin hat on their heads.

The traditional wedding costumes distinctive for Banat region are illustrated on the stamp with the face value of Lei 20.50. The bride’s grown consists of a shirt crinkled at the neck, with the sleeve fastened in the bracelet with “fodori” (cuff made of crinkled fabric or embroidery, applied to sleeves). The sleeve has a sheet metal-like decoration, embroidered in Byzantine stitch with metallic thread. Both the poale (skirt) and the fodori (cuffs) of the shirt have embroidery and cotton “cipca”.

The front catrinta (apron, tablier) and the “opreg” (narrower apron), a rectangular item with back fringes, are woven from wool with geometric motifs, chosen over threads, with metallic thread and polychrome wool. Catrinta and “opregul” are fastened at the waist with a velvet belt embroidered in Byzantine stitch, with metallic thread. The pieptar (sheepskin vest) is specific to the holidays, with wool embroidery and mirror pieces. The mark of the wedding clothing in the area is the “coin cap”, made of Austro-Hungarian thaler type coins.

The groom’s clothing consists of a straight shirt made of homemade fabric “in cinari” (in stripes made at the looming machine), with embroidery at cuffs and a collar made “at thread”, and at the poale “in ciur” - fagotting. The high collar of the shirt is the mark of the groom’s clothing. The wide trousers made of two sheets of cloth repeat the ornaments on the poala (hem, lower seamed part) of the shirt. The shirt is fastened in a leather belt, with embroidery in Byzantine stitch, made of metal thread. The laibar (corsage) is made of white aba, with ornaments made by applying coloured laces. The head was generally covered with black, lambskin, tugged cusma (winter hat).

Romfilatelia thanks the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant from Bucharest for the documentary and photographic support granted to the achievement of this postage stamps issue.

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