“Hong Kong Museums Collection - Xubaizhai Collection” Special Stamps

Cherished by the renowned art connoisseur Mr Low Chuck-tiew (1911–1993), Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy primarily encompasses masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties through the twentieth century.  Mr Low named his collection after one of his most treasured items, a calligraphic plaque by Yi Bingshou (1754–1815), a Qing dynasty calligrapher.

Mr Low donated his collection to the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1989.  Hongkong Post is continuing its Hong Kong Museums Collection series by issuing a set of six stamps and two stamp sheetlets on the theme of “Xubaizhai Collection” to present paintings selected from the exhibition “Life Planning of the Chinese Literati: Selected Chinese Painting and Calligraphy from the Xubaizhai Collection”, showcasing the diverse artistic styles and aspirations of traditional Chinese literati.

Acknowledgement: Hong Kong Museum of Art

$2.20 Stamp – Reeds and Mallard
Not dated｜Zhu Da (1626–1705)｜Hanging scroll, ink on paper｜73 x 42 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Zhu Da, one of the “Four Monks” in the early Qing dynasty, was a scion of the Ming imperial family.  After the fall of the Ming dynasty, he became a monk and went by the name of “Bada Shanren” .  Animals in his paintings often roll their eyes, a highly distinctive style employed by the artist to convey his anger and sorrow over the political upheaval of his time as well as a sense of helplessness of being a loyalist of a fallen empire.

$2.80 Stamp – Illustrations for Poems of Song and Yuan Masters
Not dated｜Shitao (1642–1707)｜Album of 12 leaves (selected), ink and colour on paper｜23 x 18 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Shitao, one of the “Four Monks” in the early Qing dynasty, was a descendant of Ming royalty.  During his childhood, he was escorted away and survived as a monk.  Advocating the principle of “I use my own method”, he spent his life travelling among mountains and rivers, exhausting extraordinary peaks for a sketch.  This album was inspired by the poems of the Song and Yuan poets, featuring 12 small landscape illustrations, each inscribed with a five- or seven-character quatrain.  The rocks are uniquely shaped and executed with vigorous and bold brushwork, suggesting the spontaneity and forthrightness of the painter’s character.

$3.70 Stamp – Landscape
Not dated｜Hongren (1610–1664)｜Hanging scroll, ink and colour on paper｜187 x 78 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Hongren, one of the “Four Monks” in the early Qing dynasty, became a monk after the fall of the Ming dynasty, devoting himself to painting and calligraphy.  He derived his landscape painting techniques from Ni Zan’s (1301–1374), favouring the use of dry ink and sparing brushwork, with the texture of rocks and mountains depicted with slender, angular texture strokes.  The cold and desolate landscape illustrated in the painting is his lamentation over the change of dynasties.

$4 Stamp – Autumn Mountains
1733｜Tang Dai (1673–1754)｜Handscroll (section), ink and colour on silk｜43 x 323 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

This landscape handscroll, created by Tang Dai, a Qing court painter, depicts autumn scenery with a diffusion of dark-green ink.  The undulating majesty of the mountains, resembling a “Dragon Vein”, symbolises the glory and prosperity of the Qing Empire.  Honoured as the “Painting Champion”, Tang served consecutively under three emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong.  His works are regarded as prime examples of the Qing court style of landscape painting.

$5.40 Stamp – A Painting for the Poems on Fallen Flowers
Not dated｜Wen Zhengming (1470–1559)｜Handscroll (section), ink and colour on paper｜22.5 x 67.8 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Themed “Fallen Flowers”, this scroll originated from “Poems on Fallen Flowers”, a set of ten poems written by Shen Zhou (1427–1509) to express his sorrow.  These poems subsequently initiated an exchange of poems in the literati circle and Wen Zhengming transcribed them all and painted A Painting for the Poems on Fallen Flowers.  The entire composition features meticulous brushstrokes and delicate colouring, fully revealing the refined tastes of the Wu School literati.

$5.50 Stamp – Flowers, Fruits, Vegetables and Insects
Not dated｜Yu Zhiding (1647–1716)｜Handscroll (section), ink and colour on paper｜22.5 x 1004.5 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Painted by Yu Zhiding, a Qing court painter, this scroll features over 40 different flowers, fruits, vegetables and insects, sketched with the shuanggou (outlining) and mogu (boneless) techniques and painted in vivid, dense colours.  The work is executed with exquisite precision and delicacy, embodying the court style of painting.

$10 Stamp Sheetlet – Cooling Off the Hot Summer
1540｜Wen Zhengming (1470–1559)｜Hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk｜147.2 x 61 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Wen Zhengming was a leading figure of the Wu School of painting in the Ming dynasty, with numerous students and followers.  This painting depicts literati taking a summer retreat in a garden, where shady wutong (Chinese parasol trees), willows, rockeries and follies are all neatly arranged.  It presents the activities that literati would have enjoyed doing in gardens at the time.  Meticulous and delicate in brushwork, the scroll perfectly exemplifies the refined style; it is a mature work from the artist’s later years.

$20 Stamp Sheetlet – Returning Home with a Qin
Not dated｜Tang Yin (1470–1524)｜Hanging scroll, ink and colour on silk｜74.5 x 37.5 cm｜Xubaizhai Collection, Hong Kong Museum of Art

Tang Yin, one of the “Four Masters of the Wu School”, was active in the Suzhou art circle during the mid-Ming period and acclaimed for his artistry in prose, poetry and painting.  This work is one of his surviving landscape paintings.  It follows the panoramic landscape painting style of the Northern Song dynasty, exuding both the meticulous rigour of the academy style and the delicate elegance of the literati.

Official first day covers will be put on sale at $2.5 each at all post offices from 10 March 2026. Advance orders for servicing self-provided covers will be accepted at all philatelic offices from 10 to 16 March 2026.

Stamp products include mint stamps, stamp sheets, stamp sheetlets, mini-pane, presentation pack, postage prepaid picture cards (air mail) and serviced first day cover. Serviced first day cover will be available at all philatelic offices only.

Date-stamping Arrangements

• A hand-back date-stamping service with the office date-stamp and the special postmarks will be provided on 24 March 2026 at all post offices for official first day covers/souvenir covers/privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. All philatelic offices will also provide “Philatelic Bureau” pictorial postmark and its respective philatelic office pictorial postmark. The GPO-1 date-stamp impression will only be available at the General Post Office.

• All stamp products will be available at all post offices starting from 24 March 2026 for 3 months while stock lasts.

• All stamp products will be available at Hongkong Post’s online shopping platform ShopThruPost (website: shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk) starting from 24 March 2026 at 8:00 a.m. for 6 months, while stock lasts.