Card #2 from Portugal, naval war scene on tile mural

Another fantastic card from my friend Laura Termes, posted at Portugal on her way back from Egypt to England. I am impressed to have a friend like her, picking a card of my choice, remembering me even on her vacation. Thank you Laura.

Mural - any piece of artwork painted directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface.

Tile Mural - Tile murals / tile paintings, which cover complete walls and give a wall painting-like impression. Tile murals are typically found in countries around the Mediterranean Sea such as Morocco, Tunisia and Arabic countries, in Portugal and Spain mostly in an often monochrom-colored form, the Azulejo.

The Azulejo refers to a typical form of Portuguese or Spanish painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tile work. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture, manifesting without interruption during five centuries the consecutive trends in art.

Azulejos can be found inside and outside churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even train stations or subway stations. They were not only used as an ornamental art form, but also had a specific functional capacity like temperature control at homes. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

The card above depicts an 18th Century naval war scene on tile mural.

Source: Wikipedia

Postcard #1 from Egypt, solar barge

This postcard was posted at Cairo, Egypt by my friend, Laura Termes during her vacation to the Valley of the Kings.

These figures/drawings are found on the wall inside the tomb of King Tutankhamun (Tut-ankh-amon). The painting/drawing of entire wall can be seen at the image on right. (Courtesy: heritage-key.com)

The tomb of King Tut contained breathtaking treasures but it also contained some wonderful tomb paintings and scenes. Each wall of the tomb has a specific theme. The East Wall depicts the Funeral Procession, the West Wall contains text from the Amduat, the South Wall depicts his arrival in the Underworld and the North Wall of the tomb shows the arrival of Tutankhamun in the Afterlife.

The painting on card is from the West Wall - Text from the Amudat.

* Images of 12 baboons are depicted which are representative of the 12 hours of the night.
* There are also images of the solar barque (a mythological representation of the sun riding in a boat) and Tutankhamun in the image of Osiris.

Source: heritage-key.com, king-tut.org.uk, wikipedia

Dia Del Galeon Festival 2010

 

Date of Issue: October 08, 2011
Designer: Jesus Alfredo Delos Santos

Designs: Artist’s rendition of the Galeon with the map of the Philippines, Mexico and Spain showing the Galeon trade.

Souvenir Sheet 1 shows the old map taken from the book of Sen. Edgardo J. Angara.
Souvenir Sheet 2 shows the modern map showing the Galeon trade route and the logo of Dia Del Galeon Festival.

Denomination and Quantity:
Php7.00 / 75,000 pieces
Souvenir Sheet 1: Php 14.00 / 6,500 pieces
Souvenir Sheet 2: Php 47.00/ 6,500 pieces

The 8th October was chosen by UNESCO as the Dia del Galleon to commemorate the arrival of the first Manila galleon in Acapulco, Mexico, in 1565.

The Día del Galeón Festival celebrates the unique journey of the Manila galleons and their place in maritime history – spanning the globe and linking the Philippines with Mexico and Spain. For 250 years (from 1565 – 1815) the Manila galleons were a conduit for global trade and cultural exchange between Europe, the New World and Asia.

Galleon - A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. An ocean going ship type which evolved from the carrack in the second half of the sixteenth century. A lowering of the forecastle and elongation of the hull gave galleons an unprecedented level of stability in the water, and reduced wind resistance at the front, leading to a faster, more maneuverable vessel. The galleon was powered entirely by wind, using sails carried on three or four masts, with a lateen sail continuing to be used on the last (usually third and fourth) masts. They were used in both military and trade applications, most famously in the Spanish treasure fleet, and the Manila Galleons.

It is uncertain exactly how many Manila Galleons were built – some authoritative sources say as few as 110 while others indicate many hundreds. The vast majority were built in the Philippines, using renowned Philippine hardwoods; at least eight are known to have been built in Acapulco, Mexico. Cavite, in Manila Bay, was the location of the largest shipyard building Manila Galleons: up to 2,000 tons and as long a 160-feet; others were built in shipyards in Marinduque, Masbate, Sorsogon and Camarines.

“The number of Manila Galleons that sank en route, in weather related mishaps or by force of arms from British and Dutch privateers, is also not clear but as many as 40 Manila Galleons are known to have sunk. Of the Manila Galleons that sank, most perished during their exit from the Philippine archipelago, with a handful being wrecked along the California coast upon arrival in the New World. Few wrecks have been found, partly because: of the deep and or treacherous waters in which they sank; and, Philippine law discourages active exploration of historic wrecks

A replica of the 17th century Galleon from Spain, Galeon Andalucia was docked in the Manila Pier during  October 05 - 09, 2010, for public viewing. Guests were allowed to climb on-board and view the Galleon Museum.

Thanks to friend, Mr. Cenezo S. Quemado from Iriga City, Philippines for sending me these stamps and souvenir sheets inside this wonderful registered cover, with stamps and one of the souvenir sheet on reverse of envelope.

Click here to know more about the Dia Del Galeon Festival 2010.

Source: Wikipedia, philpost.gov.ph, ncca.gov.ph

Sail boat on Qatar 10 Dirhams Coin

State of Qatar
Year: 1973
KM #: 1
Metal: Bronze
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 7.500 grams
Mintage: 1.5 millions

Design of sailing boat on reverse side.

Click here to see other coins with ships/boats/explorers in my collection.

Source: Krause World Coins Catalog

Greek Fire - Early Naval Warfare

Date of Issue: May 03, 1982
Scott #: 579

This stamp was issued for Europa 1982 on theme - Historic Events.

The historic event depicted on stamp is Liberation of Cyprus in 965 A.D. by Emperor Nicephorus II Phocas.

The design shows an early naval warfare - known as "Greek Fire" -  an incendiary weapon used by the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines typically used it in naval battles to great effect as it could continue burning even under water.

Byzantine Empire - the predominantly Greek-speaking eastern part of the Roman Empire throughout late antiquity and the middle ages. Also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire was called simply Roman Empire or Romania by its inhabitants and neighbors.

It provided a technological advantage, and was responsible for many key Byzantine military victories, most notably the salvation of Constantinople from two Arab sieges, thus securing the Empire's survival.

Although the term "Greek fire" has been general in English and most other languages since the Crusades, in the original Byzantine sources it is called by a variety of names, such as "sea fire", "Roman fire", "war fire" , "liquid fire", or "processed fire".

The design on stamp, showing the Byzantine ship using Greek Fire must be adopted from a painting (as shown on right) from Madrid Skylitzes Manuscript.

Source: Wikipedia

Ships on Banknotes #12 - Greece 50 Drachma

 

Issued By: Bank of Greece
First Issued: October 01, 1964
Issued Period: 1964 - 1970

Added this banknote recently to my collection. The condition of the note is poor, should replace this when I get a better quality note.

At the bottom, on front side, is seen a traditional Greek Galley with pointed bow. On the back is a scene depicting building of ships at a shipyard. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and has been a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times, as the mountainous landscape of the mainland, the limited farming area and the extended coastline of Greece led people to occupy with shipping.

Click here to see more banknotes with ships in my collection.

Source: Wikipedia, Krause Standard Catalog of World Paper Money

Card #1 from Brazil

Received this picture postcard from Ms. Lafaiete, Brazil featuring cruise ship Crown Odyssey.

From the date of its launch, the ship changed hands into different owners and was renamed again and again and its present name is "Balmoral."

1988–1996: Crown Odyssey
1996–2000: Norwegian Crown
2000–2003: Crown Odyssey
2003–2007: Norwegian Crown
2007 onwards: Balmoral

Source: Wikipedia

Maori Canoers

Date of Issue: April 27, 1984
Scott #: C207

This is a beautiful engraved design of Maori Canoers Air Post stamp of French Polynesia issued to commemorate Philatelic Exposition at Madrid in 1984.

The design shows the Maori people (indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand) in canoes, which is their primary means of inter-island transport.

Blog - Celebrating 2nd Anniversary

One more year passed, and today, Jan 08, 2011, I celebrate two years of successful blogging. I would like to thank all my blog viewers around the globe, friends, swap pals for providing continuous support and encouragement thereby motivating and improving my collection.

Click here to share your wishes / suggestions / comments about my blog.

HMS Victory - Postcard

This picture postcard with wonderful view of HMS Victory with 1/2 d stamp of H.M.S. Victory and First Day of Issue (03.04.1967) postmark of Gibraltar was sent to me by my friend, Laura Termes, now in U.K.

If only the stamp was fixed on the front side of card, it would have become a nice Maxi Card.