India
2001 Full Setanant Set of Four Fable Stamp Pairs from India. Mint. Never hinged. Both stamps in each pair are marked "400." $8.50 from Vasanthi Balson, Columbus, OH, through eBay, Oct., '02.One extra set from the same source at the same price at the same time.
The four stories are from Kalila and Dimna. Each is really two stamps that make up a single picture with two scenes. The art is somewhat Disneyesque, particularly in the scene of the lion looking down the well and seeing his own reflection. The artist has worked to integrate the two parts of each scene, e.g., with the sun that joins the two parts of TT and the tree that forms the edge of both scenes in "The Monkey and the Crocodile." These stamps are attractive!
- • The Monkey and the Crocodile
- • The Tortoise and the Geese
- • The Crows and the Snake
- • The Lion and the Rabbit
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2001 2 postcards using the stamps of Panchatantra as part of the card itself, one with a photo of a swan and the other with a cartoon of a lion. $10 from Arun Agarwal, Kanpur, India, on eBay, Feb., '
These two postcards are surprising in several ways. First, they are so different from each other. One uses a standard photograph of a swan gliding through placed waters – supposedly to illustrate the efforts of two geese to save a talkative turtle. The other places a cartoon of a lion in a similar photograph of a jungle setting, to set up the stamps' story of a the rabbit who lured a lion into jumping into a well to attack his competitor. The second surprise is that the stamps are not paste onto the card but rather integrated into its picture. Both list the India Post on the obverse and list "Postmas ter General Pune 411 001."
2001 FDC Envelope with the four pairs of cancelled stamps and a design on the front of the envelope. The verso of the envelope reads " The First Day Cover carries an artist's impression of Vishnu Sarman, the author of Panchatantra telling the stories to his pupils. Department of Posts, India. Accompanied by an extra pair of the TT stamps. Unknown source.
This envelope seems larger than many and thus offers room for all eight stamps and the design. Every phrase on these stamps is done in Hindi and English. I do not know what the "Hafnia 01 Danmark" symbol in the lower right corner means. Is it a Danish stamp collecting outfit?
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