South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973

South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973 (Series 1 & 2)

South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973 (Series 3 & 4)

South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973 (Series 5 & 6)

South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973 (Series 7 & 8)

South Korea - Korean Traditional Costumes 1973 (Series 9 & 10)

Laos - Traditonal Costumes 1992

The People- Montagnards Lao

The term Montagnard means "mountain people" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. The term is preferable to the derogatory Vietnamese term moi, meaning "savage." Montagnard is the term, typically shortened to Yard, used by U.S. military personnel in the Central Highlands during the Vietnam War. The Montagnards, who are made up of different tribes, with many overlapping customs, social interactions, and language patterns, typically refer to themselves by their tribal names such as Jarai, Koho, Manong, and Rhade. Since Montagnard is still the most commonly recognized term for these people, it is the term we use in this profile.

Many of the first group of Montagnard refugees in the United States adopted the term Dega as their name instead of Montagnard because of the latter’s colonial associations. Dega comes from the Rhade language and refers to a creation myth in which the first two Montagnards were named De and Ga. One was of Mon-Khmer heritage and the other of Malayo-Polynesian heritage, and all Montagnards are descendants of these first people of the Highlands, according to the myth. In fact, Montagnard languages are traceable to the Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian groups.

A Rhade term was chosen because among the first group of Montagnard refugees in the United States the Rhade were in the majority, and their language had been the lingua franca among the resistance fighters. The initial Montagnard organization formed in the United States in 1987 selected the name Montagnard Dega Association in an effort to establish an identity that was inclusive, independent, and recognizable to the community at large. Some Montagnards in the United States, though certainly not all, continue to identify strongly with the term Dega.

The literature on hilltribes in northern Vietnam and Laos that relies on traditional French sources sometimes refers to these peoples as Montagnard. However, the Montagnards from the Central Highlands of Vietnam should not be confused with hilltribe groups in other regions. The Montagnards from the Central Highlands are ethnically distinct from the Hmong and other hilltribe groups from Laos and from hilltribes from northern Vietnam even though they have similar histories of involvement with the U.S. military during the war in Vietnam and Laos. The Montagnards are also distinct from other ethnic minorities in Vietnam, including the Cham, a Muslim minority, who populate parts of Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Nung, as well as other tribal groups from northern Vietnam. A couple hundred Nung have been resettled as refugees in North Carolina and are developing an association with the Montagnards there though the traditions between the two vary significantly. Some Montagnard tribes have also resided in the jungles of Cambodia near the border of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, the border having been drawn by the French during their occupation.

Before the Vietnam War, the population of the Central Highlands, estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million, was almost exclusively Montagnard. Today, the population is approximately 4 million, of whom about 1 million are Montagnard. Of these, between 229,000 to 400,000 are thought to follow evangelical Protestantism. An additional 150,000 to 200,000 are Roman Catholic. The 30 or so Montagnard tribes in the Central Highlands comprise more than six different ethnic groups drawn primarily from the Malayo-Polynesian and Mon Khmer language families. The main tribes, in order of size, are the Jarai (320,000), Rhade (258,000), Bahnar (181,000), Koho (122,000), Mnong (89,000), and Stieng (66,000). The Rhade and Mnong are also known as the Ed and the Bunong.

As the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands, the Montagnards are completely different in their culture and language from the mainstream Vietnamese. The Vietnamese arrived much later into what is now Vietnam and came primarily from China in different migratory waves. Primarily lowland rice farmers in the south, the Vietnamese have been much more influenced by outsiders, trade, the French colonization, and industrialization than have the Montagnards. Most Vietnamese are Buddhists, belonging to varying strains of Mahayana Buddhism, although Roman Catholicism and a native religion known as Cao Dai also have large followings. Part of the Vietnamese population, especially in larger towns and cities, maintain Chinese traditions and language. The ethnic Chinese constitute the largest minority in Vietnam.

Physically, the Montagnards are darker skinned than the mainstream Vietnamese and do not have epicanthic folds around their eyes. In general, they are about the same size as the mainstream Vietnamese.

Niger - The court of the Sultan of Zinder 1980

Zambia - Commonwealth Conference (National Coat of Arms) 1980

The State Coat of Arms of Zambia was adopted on 24 October 1964 when the Republic of Zambia reached its independence. This coat of arms is adapted from the arms of the Colony of Northern Rhodesia which dates to 1927. The Eagle of liberty represents the conquest of freedom and nation's hope for the future. The Shield is a representation of Victoria Falls with white water cascading over black rock. The black also symbolises the African population and its link to the Zambezi river which is where the name Zambia comes from. The coat of arms also has emblems of Zambia's natural resources; minerals and mining, agriculture and wildlife. The shield is supported by two figures which represent the common man and woman of the nation. The country's motto is "One Zambia, One Nation" making reference to its peaceful and united tribes.

The shield of these arms also took up one field in the shield of the coat of arms of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1954-1963.

Armiger: Republic of Zambia
Adopted: 24 October 1964
Crest: An eagle Or displayed above a crossed hoe and pickaxe proper
Escutcheon: Sable, six pallets wavy argent
Supporters: Dexter a Zambian man in Western garb, sinister a Zambian woman in traditional garb
Compartment: Green earth and an ear of maize proper
Motto: ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION
Earlier versions:

Netherlands - Traditional Costumes 1958

0.04 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Walcheren
0.06 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Marken
0.08 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Scheveningen
0.12 + 0.09 Dutch Guilder - Friesland
0.30 + 0.09 Dutch Guilder - Volendam

Netherlands - Traditional Costumes 1960

0.04 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Marken
0.06 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Volendam
0.08 + 0.04 Dutch Guilder - Bunschoten
0.12 + 0.09 Dutch Guilder - Hindeloopen
0.30 + 0.09 Dutch Guilder - Huizen

Germany, Empire - Munich Industrial Exhibition 1922

Canada - Provincial Arms & Flowers 1964

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1963

The provinces of the Republic of Madagascar were granted coats of arms designed by the well known French heraldists Robert Louis and Suzanne Gauthier. The coats of arms were published on stamps from 1963 until 1972.

1963
ANTSIRABE
ANTALAHA
Origin/meaning :
The arms show parts of a vanilla plant (orchid), as vanilla is of great importance to the local economy.
TULEAR
ANTANANARIVO / TANANARIVE
Origin/meaning :
The arms are quartered with a zebu head and a lily. The lily represents France, the zebu head refers to the favorite and blessed animal of the Malagasy people.
The motto means : "One thousand men cannot die in one day".
NOSSI-BÉ
MANANJARY
Origin/meaning :
The plant in the top of the arms is the "ravenala" or "traveller's tree", common to Madagascar. I have no information on the meaning or origin of the lower part of the arms. Any information is welcome !
MAJUNGA
Origin/meaning :
The arms show a large baobab tree, typical for the region. The chief shows some boats, indicating that Majunga is a main harbour town. The elements are similar to those of Morondava.
FIANARANTSOA
DIEGO-SUAREZ

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1968

1968
90 Madagascar Francs - Antsohihy

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1970

1970
10 Madagascar Francs - Ambalavao
80 Madagascar Francs - Tamatave

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1971

1971
25 Madagascar Francs - Ambatondrazaka
Origin/meaning: The three zebu heads in the first quarter and the corn and rice in the fourth quarter symbolise agriculture and especially the importance of cattle for the area. Ambotondrazaka has been mentioned as the agricultural capital of the country. The second quarter symbolises the Alaotra lake, the third the local rives, which are rich in fish, which is an important aspect of the local economy.
25 Madagascar Francs - Morondava
Origin/meaning: The arms show a large baobab tree, typical for the region. The boats indicate that Morondava is a main harbour town. The elements are similar to those of Majunga.

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1972

1972
1 Madagascar Franc - Maintirano
25 Madagascar Francs - Fenerive-Est
Origin/meaning: The three flowers on the diagonal are flowers of the clove, which was and remains one of the most important crop of this area. The ship most likely signifies that the town is a harbour town. The sun symbolises the sky and the abundance of sunshine in the area. The ship may also be a pirate's ship, as the local tribes were joined in 1674 by Ratsimilaho, to the new tribe of the Betsimisaraka. Ratsimilaho was the son of an English pirate.

Madagascar - Coat of Arms 1974

Georgia - Definitives1919

Georgia first stamp, issued on 1919 (perforation)

Georgia second stamp, issued on 1919 (imperforation)

0.10 Kopeks - Light Blue
0.40 Kopeks - Brick Red
0.50 Kopeks - Light Green
0.60 Kopeks - Red
0.70 Kopeks - Red Lilac
1.00 Rubel - Brown
2.00 Rubels - Red Brown
3.00 Rubels - Ultramar
5.00 Rubels - Orange

Romania - Traditional Costumes 1958 (perforation & imperforation)

Traditional Costumes:
35 Bani - Oltenia
40 Bani - Tara Oasului
50 Bani - Transilvania
55 Bani - Muntenia
1.00 Leu - Banat
1.75 Lei - Moldova

Austria - Coat of Arms 1945

Coat of Arms of Austria
The current coat of arms of Austria, albeit without the broken chains, has been in use by the Republic of Austria since 1919. Between 1934 and the German annexation in 1938 Austria used a different coat of arms, which consisted of a double-headed eagle. The establishment of the Second Republic in 1945 saw the return of the original (First Republic) arms, with broken chains added to symbolise Austria's liberation.

Symbolism
The symbols and emblems used in the Austrian arms are as follows:
* The Eagle: Austria's sovereignty (introduced 1919)
* The escutcheon Emblem of Austria (late Middle Ages, reintroduced 1915)
* The mural crown: The middle class (introduced 1919)
* The sickle: Agriculture (introduced 1919)
* The Hammer: Industry (introduced 1919)
* The broken chains: Liberation from National Socialist dictatorship (added 1945)

First Republic, 1919 - 1934/ Federal State ("Corporate" State) 1934 - 1938/ Coat of Arms of Austria

Discussions about the arms have been triggered in the past by differing political interpretations, especially by the use of the hammer and the sickle and the broken chains, since the crossed hammer and sickle are a widespread symbol of communism, as is the breaking of chains. Surveys have however confirmed, that understanding of the actual symbolism of the arms is widespread.

On the one hand the arms serve as a new republican symbol, on the other as a modified version of the historical Habsburg arms. The current version of the arms is often regarded as being reminiscent of the double-headed eagle of the Habsburg monarchy. According to this interpretation, the single headed eagle alludes, in the sense of the removal of the left hand, "Hungarian" head, to the removal of the eastern part of the Habsburg Empire. However, Addendum 202 to the 1919 Law on the State Arms and the State Seal of the Republic of German Austria states expressly that the "new" single headed Austrian eagle is based not on the double headed eagle (symbol of the Habsburgs since 1804, and previously of the Holy Roman Empire), but rather on the "symbol of the legions of the Roman Republic", the Aquila.[2] The Austrian federal states have however retained pre-republican heraldic traditions (mostly heraldic images from the Middle Ages, but also diverse accoutrements such as archducal and ducal hats, and knights' helmets).

Angola (Portuguese Colony) - Traditional Costumes 1957

0.05 Centavos - Soba do Quela Malange/ Soba from Quela Malange
0.10 Centavos - Flautista do Andulo (BIE)/ Piper from Andulo (BIE)
0.15 Centavos - Dembos/ Dembos
0.20 Centavos - Dançarino Quissama/ Dancer of Quissama
0.30 Centavos - Casal da Quibala/ The Couple of Quibala
0.40 Centavos - Dançarina do Bocoio/ Dancer from Bocoio
0.50 Centavos - Mulher Quissama/ Women from Quissama
0.80 Centavos - Mulher Cuanhama Ihuilai/ Women of Cuanhama Ihuilai
1.50 Escudos - Mulher de Luto - Luanda/ Mourning Woman - Luanda
2.50 Escudos - Dançarino do Bocoio/ Dancer from Bocoio
4.00 Escudos - Muquixe - Moxico/ Muquixe - Moxico
10.00 Escudos - Soba de Cabinda/ Soba from Cabinda

Liberia - Local Music 1967

Local Musics:
2 Cents, Liberian Dollars - African Rattle
3 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Tom Tom & Soko Violin
5 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Mang Harp
10 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Alimilim
15 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Kylophone Drums
25 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Tom Toms
35 Cents, Liberian Dollars - Large Harp

Iraq - Traditional Costumes 1967

Falkland Islands - Coat of Arms 1975

2 pences (Falkland Islands Pounds) - Seal & Flag Badge
When the system of defacements to the blue ensign was introduced in 1865, the instruction was that the ensign should be defaced with the 'seal or badge' of the colony. In the Falkland Islands, the circular picture of a ship and a cow/bull/bullock was the seal from 1846 until 1925. So it was used on the first blue ensign sometime after 1865 and probably continued in use until 1948 when the 'sheep above a ship' was used on the flag. But between 1925 and 1948 the seal of the colony was a shield with a port quarter view of a sailing ship on a blue background, overlaid in the lower left half of the shield by a seal (the marine mammal) on a brown background. Was this ever used on a flag?
The 'Bullock Triumphant' was approved 1876. It was based on the existing seal which had been designed when, 'wild cattle were the dominating feature of the Colony'. I have an idea that it was also a punning reference to a Captain Bullock who was involved in the early history of the Falkland Islands.

7 1/2 pences (Falkland Islands Pounds) - Coat of Arms by Royal Warrant (16th October 1925)
Arms granted 16th October 1925. "Per bend Azure and Or, sinister a representation of the ship "Desire" dimidiated and issuant Argent Flag and Pennon charged with a Cross Gules and dexter a Sea Lion proper, with the Motto "Desire the Right"." ... "to be borne for the said Colony of the Falkland Islands upon Seals Shields Banners or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms."
It should have been used as a badge, surrounded by the usual garland, on the Union Flag of the Governor, and on the fly of the Blue Ensign, with no white disc. These details appeared in Amendment 5 (1937) to the 1930 edition of the Admiralty Flag Book. In practice it is likely that the earlier circular badge approved in 1876 continued to be used on both flags until replaced by the current badge in 1948.

10 pences (Falkland Islands Pounds) - Coat of Arms by Royal Warrant (29th September 1948)
The coat of arms of the Falkland Islands was granted to the Falkland Islands on September 29, 1948.
The ship represents the Desire, the vessel in which the English sea-captain, John Davis, is reputed to have discovered the Falkland Islands in 1592.
The motto "Desire the Right" also refers to the ship's name.
The ram represents sheep-farming, until recently the principal economic activity of the islands. The tussock grass shows the most notable native vegetation.

16 pences (Falkland Islands Pounds) - Coat of Arms (Falkland Islands Dependencies) by Royal Warrant (11th March 1952)
The Coat of Arms of the British Antarctic Territory were first granted in 1952, when the territory was still a dependency of the Falkland Islands (along with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands).
The arms consist of a shield bearing a flaming torch on a wavy background representing the sea. The dexter supporter is a golden lion, representing the United Kingdom. The sinister supporter is an Emperor penguin, representing the native wildlife in the territory. The lion stands on a grass floor, while the penguin stands on an ice floor. The crest is a representation of the RRS Discovery, the research ship used by Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first journey to the Antarctic.
The motto is Research and Discovery, reflecting the aims of the British Antarctic Survey.
The Coat of Arms appear in the fly of the Flag of the British Antarctic Territory.

Suriname - Flag & Coat of Arms 1976

Official Name: Republic of Suriname (Republiek Suriname)
Previous Names: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
Capital: Paramaribo
Location: South America
Government Type: Constitutional Democracy
Flag adopted: 25 November 1975

25 Cents - FLAG OF SURINAME:
The Flag of Suriname is formed by five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width). There is a large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band.

The flag was adopted on November 25, 1975, upon the independence of Suriname. The star represents the unity of all ethnic groups, the red stripe stands for progress and love, the green for hope and fertility, and the white bands for peace and justice.

35 Cents - COAT OF ARMS:
The explanation of the arms from http://www.sr.net/srnet/InfoSurinam/arm.html (defunct):
"The coat of arms of Suriname consists of two Indians holding a shield. Below the Indians and the shield you find the motto 'Justitia Pietas Fides' which means 'Justice Faith Loyalty'. The sailing boat at the left part of the shield symbolizes the history of Suriname when slaves were taken to Suriname from Africa. The palm at the right part of the shield stands for the present as well for justice. The diamond in the middle symbolises a heart. The five-point star within the diamond stands for the five continents the inhabitants from Suriname came from."

The motto in the scroll, "JUSTITIA - PIETAS - FIDES", means "Justice, Piety, Faith".

Mongolia - Folk Dances 1977

TRADITIONAL MONGOLIAN DANCE
Twisted, distorted "snaky people," or contortionists, perform the type of classical Mongolian dancing probably most familiar to people outside Mongolia.
The "Bielgee" dance, or dance of the body, is particular to the people of western Mongolia. It is performed to the music of Mongolian national musical instruments, such as the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) and the yochin (similar to the xylophone.) Bielgee is traditionally performed on the rather limited space before the hearth, so the dancers make practically no use of their feet. Instead, the dancers principally use only the upper part of their bodies, and through their rhythmic movements express various aspects of their identities, such as sex, tribe, and ethic group.

Bielgee is a descriptive dance, actually a pantomime, with the dancer acting several scenes from everyday life of herders, such as milking the cow, cooking, hunting, etc. Originally, Bielgee was improvised, although the themes were set. Only much later did it become strictly regimented compositionally, with a firmly established sequence of scenes. Also, over time, Bielgee was performed in a variety of locations, including festivals in herders' tents, ceremonies by local dignitaries, and monasteries.

The first part of the Bielgee dance, called the Elkhendeg, is ritually solemn, with the dancer slowly spreading his arms, gracefully waving his hands and moving his shoulders. In the second part, called the Joroo Mori, the character of the dance suddenly changes. The body rhythmically swaying, the dancer's movements become light and challenging, in imitation of the gait of a horse.

Dances imitating the gait of a horse, such as the Shonon khar and Jamal khar, are in general very popular amongst the Derbets, Bayads, Torguts, Khotons and Zakhchins of western Mongolia. Each nationality, however, performs them in its own way. The Bayads, for instance, dance on half-bent legs, with the lower part of the body motionless. The Zakhchins squat as they dance, with the body inclined forward. The ability to dance without using one's feet at all is the ultimate achievement in the art.

Another popular Western Mongolian dance is performed with cups. You may come across old men and women in the countryside who will tell you with fascination what magnificent dancers performed it in the past when it was very much in vogue. They balanced cups full of water on their heads without spilling a single drop. The dance varies depending on whether the cups are balanced on the head, hands, or knees. The Derbets, Zakhchins and Torguts dance with the cups on their heads and the backs of their hands, while the Bayads balance the cups on their knees. Significantly, only males danced with cups on their knees. The dancers squatted as low as possible, spreading their legs apart to the width of their shoulders, which was thought improper for females to do. In olden days, the dance with cups on the knees was performed on festive occasions, such as feasts and wedding parties.

An interesting tradition arose in the past in connection with the cup dance. A group gathering in a ger on a festive occasion formed two teams and held a dancing competition. They usually started with the cups on the palms of their hands. Then they danced with cups on their heads and on their knees, which was much more difficult to do. Those who had spilled the least water from their cups were proclaimed the winners.

Each dance is distinguished by extraordinary flexibility, composition, and color. When examining the dances, it is useful to recall that the traditional manner of performing Bielgee and other dances has been handed down from generation to generation and reaches us in a somewhat modified form.

Mongolia - Folklore Dances 1987

Folk dance
When the Zakhchin and the tribes of Western Mongolia dance their folk dances ("bij" - "bielgee"), they mainly move the upper part of the body. With their movements they express their identity and gender as well as their tribal and ethnic affiliation. Besides the gender-specific movements, there are others that imitate typical activities of their everyday life, such as the nomadic herdsmen's life, the daily work in the fields or the historical events of their tribe. This kind of dance is mainly performed during celebrations inside the ger (round tents), during festivals of the local nobility or during ceremonies in the monasteries.
Every tribe has its particular forms of expression, e.g.:
- the Dörbed and the Torguts accompany their dances with dance songs;
- the Buryats dance in a circle, always moving in the direction of the sun; a solo singer improvises pairs of verses followed by the chorus singing the refrain;
- the Bayad dance with their knees bent outwards, balancing on them mugs filled with sour mare-milk (airag).
- the Dörbed balance mugs filled with airag on their heads and hands.

Biyelgee Dancing
Twisted, distorted “snaky people,” or contortionists, perform the type of classical Mongolian dancing probably most familiar to people outside Mongolia. The “Biyelgee” dance, or dance of the body, is particular to the people of western Mongolia. It is performed to the music of Mongolian national musical instruments, such as the morin khuur (horse head fiddle) and theyochin (similar to the xylophone.) Biyelgee is traditionally performed on the rather limited space before the hearth, so the dancers make practically no use of their feet. Instead, the dancers principally use only the upper part of their bodies, and through their rhythmic movements express various aspects of their identities, such as sex, tribe, and ethnic group.

Chonon Khar
Dances imitating the gait of a horse, such as the Chonon khar and Jalam khar, are in general very popular amongst the Derbets, Bayads, Torguts, Khotons and Zakhchins of western Mongolia. Each nationality, however, performs them in its own way. The Bayads, for instance, dance on half-bent legs, with the lower part of the body motionless. The Zakhchins squat as they dance, with the body inclined forward. The ability to dance without using one’s feet at all is the ultimate achievement in the art.

Togo - Traditional Costumes 1988

80 Togolese Franc - Traditional Costumes of Chefs "Watchi"
125 Togolese Franc - Traditional Costumes of Female "Watchi"
165 Togolese Franc - Traditional Costumes of Kotokoli
175 Togolese Franc - Traditional Costumes of Ewe
500 Togolese Franc - Traditional Costumes of Moba