2022 year of tiger

トラの礼服

5 June 1975, Liechtenstein
Imperial Insignia – Robe
design: O. Zeiller / engrave: A. Fischer

Happy New Year 2022!
Did you have a good new year’s day? Here in the UK a lot of people are having cozy holidays at home. Unexpectedly warm but very wet, as we had long raining days at the end of last year. Let’s hope for more clear skies (both in weather and mood) in this year.

2022 is dedicated to the Tiger in the Eastern calendar. I found this very Western stamp, which is depicting an Imperial Robe – tigers attacking camels – as the first tiger stamp of the year. I have been reading the ancient-to-medieval history of Europe, and that was when there were continuous battles between aggressors. This robe must be an icon of one moment in that endless record of wars. I wish the world gains peace some time in the future…

新年おめでとうございます。
良いお正月をむかえられましたか?ここイギリスではオミクロンの蔓延で、ほとんどの人は家での休暇を満喫中。びっくりする暖かさなのですが、年末に降り続いた雨で森の小道は長靴でも歩きにくいぬかるみ状態です。もう少しだけ、晴れ間の見える年になったらうれしいな、、(気持ち的にも)。

今年一枚めの切手は、ヨーロッパで描かれたトラです。リヒテンシュタインの皇室の宝物シリーズから、礼服を広げた図。最近、古代から中世へのヨーロッパ史を読んでいるのですが、侵略したりされたりの繰り返しがヨーロッパを作ったのね、、という感想。この礼服は、ある時点でラクダが象徴する人たちを追い払った事実を、記録したかったのだと思われます。いつか、この地球すべてに平和が来る日を祈って。

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