| 03 November 2009 |
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Christmas Stamps Depicts Nativity |
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 Christmas is fast approaching and Royal Mail - which has created stamp collections on either religious or secular themes on alternativee years - is taking the traditional route for 2009.
Royal Mail's Christmas stamps are inspired by the nativity scenes represented in stained glasses windows from churches around the UK.
The set of seven different stamps feature the Madonna and Child (1st Class), an Angel (2nd), Joseph (56p), a Wise Man (90p) and a Shepherd (£1.35).
All the stamps are self-adhesive and are in standard definitive size, except for the 1st and 2nd class, which are also made on the larger format.
The designer Andrew Ross had to research a huge amount of pictures of stained glass windows in order to choose the final set of images.
Barbara Roulston, Head of External Relations, Royal Mail Group in Belfast said: "We are extremely privileged to have access to such a rich history of beautiful stained glass designs in churches and other buildings around the UK."
She added: "These precious images of the nativity have a timeless appeal and are a wonderful way of telling the story of Christmas here and around the world."
The ones selected are by three artists associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement and show the vision of a beautiful medieval world of plenty of crafts and chivalry.
Three of them (1st, 56p and £1.35) feature Henry Holiday work. This artist and designer spent time at the studios of the artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, designer of the Wise Man stamp.
William Morris designed the Angel with Mandolin stained glass window, which was manufactured by Morris & Co, the design firm formed in 1861 with Edward Burne-Jones.
Last year, Christmas stamps celebrated Pantomimes so this year, the beauty of Nativity stars in the religious feature.
The different images come from the Church of St James (Staveley, Kendal, Cumbria), the Church of Ormesby St Michael (Great Yarmouth, Norfolk), the Parish Church of St Michael (Minehead. Somerset), the Church of St Mary the Virgin (Rye, East Sussex) and St Mary's (Upavon, Wiltshire).
(CL/BMcC) |
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