Research On The Design Of Zodiac Stamps

Chinese zodiac is a unique traditional folk culture in China.Chinese zodiac is closely associated with the dating method of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches,so it is also known as the cycle of 12 years named after animals.The Chinese zodiac has been widely used in daily life,and its visual art reveals the wisdom of the laboring people in China.The Chinese zodiac involves the ancient elegant and vulgar cultures,the ancient folk cultures,the Chinese literature and art,and the cultural deposits of various ethnic groups.With the continuous social progress,various forms to express the shapes of the Chinese zodiac are created.Chinese zodiac stamp is one of the most representative forms among all of the expressions.China Post released a series of zodiac stamps with the cycle of 12 years named after animals.Every year,they will issue a set of stamps with the zodiac animal of that year.The visual design of the stamps stresses the present,conversant with the past,and connect East with West.It is also a concentration of the politics,economy,culture,sciences,art,and so forth in China.The art design of the zodiac stamps is worth studying because it reflects the characteristics of arts and the rules of the composition at different ages.Since the birth of the first zodiac monkey stamp in 1980,it has been issued four times with 38 sets of zodiac stamps till 2017.This paper investigates the Chinese Zodiac Culture by analyzing the issues of the zodiac stamps in China and other countries and regions,the integral and partial characteristics of the design.The paper also discovers the culture connotations,the art value,the future design trend and development of zodiac stamps,in combination with the author's practical design experiences.