Isle of Man Post Office celebrates the Chinese New Year with a set of four stamps designed by Manx illustrator and artist Ana Jaks which are to be issued on Thursday 13th January 2022.
The Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, taking place on 1st February 2022, is one of the most widely celebrated annual festivals on the planet. 2022 marks the Year of the Tiger. The Tiger is the third animal within the twelve year cycle of the Zodiac and is perceived as adventurous, courageous, impulsive and passionate. In Chinese culture Tigers are seen as guardian figures of children, and infants and babies wear shoes and hats with tiger designs to protect against evil spirits.
The four stamps, valued at 67p, £1.71, £2.32 and £3.89, feature traditional Chinese pottery forms alongside the customary use of gold metallic ink. Each stamp also portrays a different facet of the Tiger mythology.
The collection was designed by Manx born and raised Ana Jaks (otherwise known as Anya Jackson to fellow island dwellers). After completing her National Diploma in Art & Design at the Isle of Man College, Ana left the Island in 2012 to complete a degree in Illustration. Since then Ana has been working both on and off-Island in a freelance capacity including the creation of a mural at Henry Bloom Noble Primary School. This is Ana’s first stamp collection.
Artist Ana Jaks said: “This is a dream; since first discovering just how beautiful the stamp sets are that the Isle of Man Post Office releases, I’ve been keen to work together – I think it’s been years in the making! There’s something very special about collaborating with a client you’ve always admired and share roots with.”
Maxine Cannon, General Manager Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, said: “We are very proud to continue our strong association with this theme and our own tradition of offering younger Manx designers their first opportunity to design stamps. In this set of stamps, Ana has used her love for shape, colour and pattern to bring the Year of the Tiger to life.”
‘The Chinese Year of the Tiger’ collection is available as a Set and Sheet Set, Presentation Pack (limited to 1750) and First Day Cover (limited to 2250). For further information, please visit www.iompost.com/tiger.