Jersey stamps: Year of the Ox

Jersey’s Lunar New Year series began in 2016 with the Year of the Monkey, followed by the rooster, dog, pig and rat. Once again, Chinese stamp artist, Wang Huming has designed the next instalment, Year of the Ox, which will be issued to celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year in 2021. The design is based on a Chinese style of painting and paper cutting.

What does the Ox represent?

In Chinese culture, the Ox is seen as a symbol of prosperity, being hardworking, kind and reliable.

The golden bull on the 54p stamp, with its head raised upwards, represents a longing for a prosperous future, while its hoof, tightly buckled downwards, indicates a down to earth attitude. The pattern on the body of the bull is traditional Chinese imagery of a butterfly playing with a peony and symbolises wealth and fertility. In the background of the stamp, on the upper right corner, is the Chinese character for ox; the strokes of the character look like the horns of an ox. 

Miniature Sheet

The Miniature Sheet depicts ‘the old cow licking her calf’.

In Chinese culture, this represents parental love and a warm and happy family atmosphere. The mother cow and calf look towards each other, indicating affection and a harmonious family balance.

Crescent shapes can be seen on the mother cow, with the same pattern appearing on the calf. The forehead and hind legs of the mother cow are adorned with flower patterns, which reflect the quiet and beautiful nature of the mother. In contrast, the calf is adorned with a dynamic windmill pattern, a symbol of the lively and energetic nature of the young creature.

Technical Details:

• Issue date: 5 January 2021
• Designed by Wang Huming in Beijing, China
• Stamps printed by Cartor Security Printing, France in four colour offset lithography plus gold metallic ink with varnish in sheets of ten 
• Stamp die size 36mm x 36mm
• Miniature Sheet size 95mm x 125mm; stamp within 60mm x 60mm
• Stamp products © Jersey Post Limited 2021