2018 - Year of the Dog

Date of Issue : 10 November 2017

2018 is the year of the Dog . On 10th November, 2018, Åland Post issued Year of the Dog, the fourth stamp in the series featuring Chinese zodiac animals.  

 With this lovely miniature sheet, Swedish artist Martin Mörck continues to put his mark on the series, illustrating a time when sailing ships dominated the townscape and sailors bought China dogs as souvenirs.
Produced in Staffordshire, the heart of English porcelain industry, during the 1800s, the delicate China dogs were made from glazed and decorated ceramics and particularly popular among Scandinavian and Åland sailors. The sailors’ dogs, also known as Staffordshire dogs, always appear in pairs, the most common type being white spaniel dogs with details in gold. They were placed on the mantel piece or windowsill at home.  A tall tale accompanying the sailors’ dogs had it that the dogs would be placed looking into the living room when the sailor was at home but out of the window when he was at sea.

The original China dogs illustrated on the miniature sheet may be viewed in the collections of the Åland Maritime Museum. Two maximum cards, also painted by Martin Mörck, complement the miniature sheet.

Aland Post

Hong Kong

2018 - Year of Dog 

The “Year of the Dog” stamp issue is the seventh in Hongkong Post’s fourth Lunar New Year special stamp series. Four thematic stamps delight collectors with cute models of dogs in ceramic, jade, pottery and seashell art. Exhibiting the lovely temperament and sweet playfulness of the dog, they present the Chinese zodiac sign for the year. Also available are stamp sheetlets printed in paper and silk that celebrate this great festive time of the year with joy and auspicious greetings.

Date of Issue : 27 January 2017