Detail

`In commemoration of an exhibition of 354 artistic masterpieces representing 5,000 years of Korean art being held in seven major cities of the United States, the Ministry of Communications has been issuing several kinds of special postage stamps in a series in order to give a fresh image of Korea with abundant cultural inheritance, at the same time showing off the excellent quality of our traditional culture to the entire world. Designs for those special stamps are being selected from among the entries to the overseas exhibition. Following the first series of five masterpieces including Dano Day by Shin Yun­bok, this Ministry is issuing the Courtesan`s Sword­Dance by Shin Yun­bok as the second series. Shin Yun­bok (1758-?) is a famous artist in the middle of the Yi Dynasty toward the end of the 18th century, and served the Yi Dynasty court as an artist. He is renowned for having developed a peculiar painting style of his own. In the courtesan`s Sword­Dance, ink and color on paper, 28.2cm by 35.2cm, an upper­class audience is being entertained at a party with the sword­dance performed by a pair of courtesans to the tune of a professional music band. Other points of interest in this painting are costume and hair styles, including the women`s chignon hair pieces and the smoking of tobacco.`