On March 7, 2025, Korea Post issued a beautiful souvenir sheet of stamps commemorating Shin Myeongyeon’s (1809–1886) masterpiece, “Folding Screen with Flowers and Plants.” Renowned scholar-painter Shin Myeongyeon, active during the late Joseon period, was celebrated for his distinctive style and profound artistic sensibility. Trained by his father, Shin Wi, in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, Shin Myeongyeon successfully balanced his official duties with a passionate dedication to art.
The “Folding Screen with Flowers and Plants,” one of his most admired works, is a ten-panel screen depicting flowers blossoming sequentially from early spring through autumn. The National Museum of Korea proudly preserves this artwork, admired for its vivid portrayal and elegant composition. Each panel captures specific flora: plum blossoms and camellias (panel 1), daffodils and nandina (panel 2), purple wisteria (panel 3), white magnolias (panel 4), poppies and purple magnolias (panel 5), peonies (panel 6), hydrangeas (panel 7), lotuses (panel 8), hibiscus (panel 9, also known as Hwangchokgyu), and chrysanthemums (panel 10).
The stamps, expertly designed by Ryu Ji-hyeong, are each valued at 430 won and meticulously illustrate these elegant panels. Notably, the original artwork employs the molgolbeop technique—painting main branches without contour lines—paired harmoniously with petals detailed through delicate brushwork and rich, vibrant colors.
Adding depth to the visual artistry, the original screen includes poetic verses and excerpts from the Qing dynasty botanical encyclopedia, GuangQunFangPu, rendered beautifully in refined regular script calligraphy. This graceful combination of imagery and text highlights the deep appreciation and scholarly interest in floriculture and horticulture prevalent among 19th-century Joseon intellectuals.
Ten First Day Covers (FDCs), each showcasing one of these stamps and neatly cancelled with postmarks from Nambusan dated March 10, 2025, were issued. The elegant pairing of Shin Myeongyeon’s timeless artistic heritage with philatelic craftsmanship ensures these stamps and FDCs remain highly collectible and culturally significant.
For more covers, both from Korea and the rest of the world, see Mon Blog Timbré.
