1980 Christmas
|
|
Cat. |
Mint Unhinged |
Fine Used |
10c |
"Madonna and Child with Cherubim" by Andrea della Robbia |
239a |
$0.45 |
|
$0.45 |
|
25c |
St Mary's Church, New Plymouth |
239b |
$0.55 |
|
$0.55 |
|
35c |
Rural Summer Picnic Scene |
239c |
$0.80 |
|
$0.80 |
|
|
|
|
Set of 3 |
239d |
$1.70 |
|
$1.70 |
|
|
|
|
First Day Cover - 1 October 1980 |
239e |
|
|
$4.25 |
|
|
… Three Stamps : 10c (239a), 25c (239b), 35c (239c) |
The Christmas 1980 issue has three stamps.
The 10
cent stamp features the "Madonna and Child with Cherubim" by
Andrea della Robbia (1435 - 1525) - a terra-cotta sculpture covered with
enamel glaze using a technique developed in the 1430s and 1440s by his
uncle Luca. The glazed coating gives the colours of della Robbia's
works a degree of durability impossible for sculpture that was simply
painted. The sculpture is part of the Andrew W. Mellon Collection at the
National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
The 25 cent stamp features
a drawing of Saint Mary's Church, New Plymouth - the oldest stone
church in New Zealand. Construction began in March 1845 and the church
opened for worship in September 1846. The Land Wars of the 1860s strongly
affected the Parish and tombstones and memorials in the church bear witness
to the conflicts between settlers and local Maori at that time.
The
35 cent stamp illustrates a couple having a Christmas Day picnic in the
height of summer. The Southern Hemisphere's summer at Christmas time
has led to radically different traditions from their Northern Hemisphere
counterparts.
Bibliography
The Postage Stamps of New Zealand Volume VIII
Edited by B. G. Vincent FRPSNZ
Published 1998 by The Royal Philatelic Society of New Zealand Incorporated (ISSN 0-9597883-1-X)
Pages 323 - 324, 342 - 343
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