Detail

` The latest item to make its debut in the Korean Beauty Series is the water dropper, a work of refined beauty and dignigied simplicity that often sits unnoticed on the sholar`s desk. A water dropper is a vessel used to make liquid ink from an ink stick. It has two holes that control the air pressure inside and allow the proper amount of water to be secreted. Judging from ancient records that verify the use of ink stontes in the Three Kingdom period, water droppers have presumably also been used since that time period. The subsequent popularity of handwriting and composition among the Koryo period elite fostered the production of beautiful celadon water droppers. The Choson dynasty witnessed the production of many different types of water droppers, as scholarly pursuits were held in high regard during that period. Although most water droppers were produced with their practical purpose as a writing accessory in mind, some larger ones are veritable works of art solely for display and decorative purposes. The eighth collection of stamps in the Korean Beauty Series features eight different water droppers: the first in blue porcelain in the shape of a peach (housed in the Ho-am Museum, 12th century)the second in white porcelain coated with a copper underglaze and a molded double crane design (hosed in the National Museum of Korea, 19th century) the fourth in blue and white porcelain whith a copper underglaze in the shape of a peach (housed in the National Museum of Korea, 19th century)the fifth in blue and white porcelain whith aniron underglaze in the shape of a toad (housed in National Museum of Korea, 19th century)the sixth in blue and white porcelain featuring a cloud and dragon decoration (housed in the National Museum of Korea, 19th century)the seventh in blue porcelain in the shape of a monkey (housed in Seoul Kansong Art Gallery, 12th century)and the eighth in blue and white porcelain in the shape of a house (housed in the National Museum of Korea, 18th century). For the first time in Korea, the water dropper stamp has been printed using color shiht ink(Optically Variable Ink), so that at the watermark lettering and margin tap on the stamp change color when viewed from the diifferent angles. These new stamps, issued in sheets of 16 each, are accompanied by a tab depicting the same water droppers. In this way, both senders and receivers of letters bearing these unique stamps as well as stamps as well ad stamp-collectors will be able to apperciate the elegance of this new series. `