香港《中國香港－大韓民國聯合發行：面具》首日實寄封

Hongkong《Hong Kong, China – Republic of Korea Joint Issue on Masks》FDC





Postmark：
Location：GPO, Hongkong
Time：6.11.2008(First Day of issue)
Postmark：Special postmark and standard postmark

郵戳：
地名：香港郵政總局(GPO)
時間：2008.11.6(首日)
戳種：特戳及日戳

＂民間舞蹈源遠流長，風采獨具，內容或反映日常生活，或取材神話傳說。由於歷史文化背景的差異，不同地方的民間舞蹈大異其趣，但當中也有共通之處，例如舞者常會佩戴面具，突顯角色的身分或性格。香港郵政與韓國郵政現以 "面具”為題，聯合發行一套兩枚郵票，展示兩地民間舞蹈中各具特色的面具。這套郵票是香港第九度與海外郵政機關合作推出的郵品。

中國香港面具 — 南獅大頭佛面具

大頭佛的起源眾說不一，但多與獅子有關。南獅表演中最先登場的大頭佛笑口常開，手握葵扇，以滑稽的動作逗引獅子舞出靈巧招式，為喜慶活動增添熱鬧氣氛。大頭佛還會用各種頑皮動作故意戲弄，誘領獅子"採青"或"破陣"，象徵為各家各炉帶來"吉祥"、 "豐收"的好兆頭。

大韓民國面具 — 鳳山假面舞面具

列為"韓國第17號重要無形文化財"的鳳山假面舞，以反映現實為主，每張面具代表不同角色的職業和階層。舞者藉覑歡快舞步和幽默手法，或諷刺社會時弊，或抒發民情民怨，讓人暫時忘卻煩憂。鳳山假面舞劇是韓國最著名的假面舞種，經常在國內外上演，見於慶祝豐收、歌頌功德等節令或慶典，以及歡迎外賓的儀式。

小全張以兩個對望的面部側影為背景。郵票置於剪影之上，以中、韓、英三種語文說明主題。左為中國"大頭佛"面具，右為韓國"鳳山假面舞"面具。兩枚郵票色彩亮麗，對比鮮明，造型維妙維肖。＂-香港郵政

＂Staged folk dance is a unique performance genre with a long history. Its themes cover a wide spectrum of subjects ranging from people’s daily activities to myths and legends. While folk dances from different nations display a rich variety of styles because of differences in their historical and cultural backgrounds, they do share some common features. One example is the use of masks to highlight the identity or character of individual dancers. Hongkong Post and Korea Post jointly issue a set of two stamps on "Masks" to showcase the distinct folk dance masks of the two places. This marks the ninth joint stamp issue released by Hongkong Post with other postal administrations.

Mask from Hong Kong, China — Big Head Buddha Mask in Southern Lion Dance

There are different versions of the origin of Big Head Buddha, but most are associated with lions. In the Southern Lion Dance, the first one to appear in the show is the always cheerful Big Head Buddha. A fellow with a palm leaf fan in his hand, the Big Head acts in an amusing way to provoke the lion to perform a series of agile manoeuvres, enhancing the joyous festive mood. The Big Head also plays funny tricks on the lion to induce it to "Cai Qing" (Pick the Greens) or "Po Zhen" (Smash the Battle Line), a symbol of bringing "good luck" and "bumper crops" to all households.

Mask from Republic of Korea — Chwibari Mask of Bongsan Mask Dance Drama

The Bongsan Mask Dance Drama, designated the "Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 17 of Korea", is steeped in realism. Each mask used in a performance reveals the occupation and social status of a character. Through delightfully nimble movements and humorous presentation, the dancers satirise social ills or express the concerns and frustrations of ordinary people. Their performance gives the audience an opportunity to temporarily take their minds off their worries. The most famous folk dance form in Korea, the Bongsan Mask Dance Drama is frequently staged at home and abroad during seasonal festivals and celebrations for good harvests or marvellous feats, as well as ceremonies to welcome visiting dignitaries.

With two opposite face silhouettes as the backdrop, the souvenir sheet presents two masks — a Chinese mask of "Big Head Buddha" on the left and a Korean mask of "Bongsan Mask Dance Drama (Chwibari Mask)" on the right. The theme of the stamp issue is shown trilingually in Chinese, Korean and English. The vibrant colours and contrasting patterns add an intensity to the costumed images on the stamps.＂-Hongkong Post