Category: Art

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Monday/ crypto stamps? 🔗

I scrolled through a bunch of crypto stamps listed on my regular online stamp marketplaces last night.
Should I buy some? Just one, for fun?
They go for $15 to $50— or more, each.
They may be worth a lot more 5 to 10 years from now.
Hmm. No, I decided. Not yet, anyway. (I don’t own any cryptocurrency, either).

Crypto stamps are valid for postage, but they are really aimed at collectors— collectors of digital works of art, or of the collector’s interests (digital comics, video clips, tweets, emails).
The buyer gets a physical stamp, as well as a digital version of it, that has a non-fungible token (NFT) associated with it. (NFT: a unique cryptographic token that exists on a blockchain, and that cannot be replicated.)

United States Postal Service sold some Day of the Dead ‘Forever’ stamps in 2021 with NFTs associated with them.
From Austria Post’s website:
Crypto stamp 5.1 Lion The Crypto stamp is the world’s first stamp with a digital twin (NFT) in the blockchain. Launched in 2019 with Crypto stamp 1.0, it continues to evolve with each subsequent edition. With over 1 million crypto stamps today, it is one of the world’s most successful and consistent crypto and NFT projects. The King of the Crypto stamp series, the majestic Lion, proudly continues the celebrated legacy of animal motifs. The Crypto stamp 5.1 Lion, a unique and imaginative creation, stands out with its digital twins showcased in five captivating colors..
A crypto stamp offering from Liechtenstein, the German-speaking, 15 mile-long principality between Austria and Switzerland.
Crypto stamp from Croatia.
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Friday 🥊

Happy Friday.

Cartoon by Seattle Times cartoonist David Horsey.
That’s Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson behind President Joe Biden, of course.
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Wednesday/ package from Denmark 🇩🇰

My package with blank stamp album pages, from a supplier based in the town of Otterup in Denmark, arrived today.
They stock Leuchtturm products (the best) and get it to me within a week via DHL.
Good stuff.

The supplier Nordfrim knows their clients love stamps, so they throw a few complementary stamps into the package before it is shipped out the door.
I love stamps, and I love maps —and I love stamps with maps on. Stamps with maps on is a good idea for a thematic collection of stamps.
Here is the catalogue information for this one:
Issued 2013, Nov. 7 —Trade Treaty Between Denmark and France, 350th Anniversary
Die-cut perf. 13 ½ x 13 ¼   Self-adhesive   Litho. & Engr. 
1663 A552 8k Rose & blue, Map and compass rose with ship at right
[Source: Scott 2018 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Vol. 2]
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Tuesday/ lore and legends 🦁

A batch of South African stamps that I had ordered from a seller in Germany arrived yesterday.
This set is one of my favorites.

2005 Folklore and Legends of South Africa
Issued Jul. 1, 2005
1348 A450 B5 sheet of 10 Perf. 14¼ No Watermark
B5 is a code for a medium-sized postcard, sent domestically in South Africa— R3.75 at the time of issue.
[Source: 2009 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue, Vol. 6]
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Sunday/ a U-district run 🚉

It was time for a U-district/ bookstore run this afternoon, and off I went to Capitol Hill light rail station.

The 13-story University of Washington office block building on top of the U-district light rail station is taking shape.
On the street below, first responders were picking up someone that had experienced a crisis of some kind.
A nod to the Year of the Dragon in the UW bookstore’s window.
The luxury student apartment building (on the right) called The Standard is complete.
It has studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments.
Students can double up in the bedrooms.
Even so, the cheapest that the rent per student will come to is $1,200 to $1,300 per month. The studio apartments would actually be the most expensive, at some $2,400 per month for the renter.
A closer look at the artwork on the side of the building.
It was another gray winter day here, but bright storefronts and mural art helps to lift the spirits.
I always try to stop at Magus Books, the second-hand bookstore.
The cart has some John Updike books (Odd Jobs, Picked-up Pieces) but I didn’t pick one up. Maybe I should have.
Updike’s writing career started early. At Harvard he soon became well known among his classmates as a talented and prolific contributor to The Harvard Lampoon, of which he was president. [From Wikipedia]
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Wednesday/ for Valentine’s Day 😘

Happy Valentine’s Day— for those that indulge in it.
Here is a cute cartoon from Stern magazine, and from the latest— and 40th— Asterix cartoon book series.
The series first appeared in the Franco-Belgian comic magazine Pilote on 29 October 1959.

Background: Chief Vitalstatistix is the chief of the Gaulish village. He is a middle-aged, bigbellied man with red hair, pigtails and a huge moustache. He is generally reasonable, well-informed, fearless, (comparatively) even-tempered and unambitious — the last much to the chagrin of his wife Impedimenta. His major failings are his love of good food and drink (it is unlikely to be a coincidence that his wife is the best cook in the village) — which has led to health problems — and his pride. -from Wikipedia
_____________________________________________________________________________
Der Kampf des Häuptlings
The Chief’s Battle

Impedimenta: Fällt etwas dir was auf?
Impedimenta: Do you notice anything?

Chief: Du hast überall muskelkater, weil du das bankett für heute abend vorbereitet hat?
Chief: You have sore muscles all over, because you prepared the banquet for tonight?

Impedimenta: Nein! Ich have mir ein neues Kleid gekauft!
Impedimenta: No! I bought myself a new dress!

Chief: Ach so, ja …
Chief: Oh yes, right …

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Saturday/ Happy Lunar New Year 🐲

Happy Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon.

I bought this dragon from a souvenir vendor on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong, probably in early 2010.
It’s a classic depiction of the dragon in the Chinese zodiac. I saw replicas of this dragon in offered in Swarovski crystal, and in 24-karat gold, by Hong Kong jewelry stores.
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Thursday/ stamps from Great Britain ✉️

I have by now (inadvertently) compiled a mini-collection of cancelled stamps from Great Britain—  from envelopes sent to me with South African stamps inside.

Here are stamps from an envelope that arrived today.

(Des Roundel, Litho De La Rue)
2004 (13 Jan – 16 Mar). Classic Locomotives.
One side phosphor band (20p.) or two phosphor bands (others). Perf. 14 ½.
2417   1705 20p. greenish yellow, magenta, new blue, silver and black Dolgoch, Rheilffordd Talyllyn Railway, Gwynedd
2418   1706 28p. greenish yellow, magenta, new blue, silver and black CR Class 439, Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, West Lothian
2420   1708 42p. greenish yellow, magenta, new blue, silver and black GWR Manor Class Bradley Manor, Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire
2421   1708 47p. greenish yellow, magenta, new blue, silver and black SR West County Class Blackmoor Vale, Bluebell Railway, East Sussex
[Source: Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2009]
(Des Johnson Banks)
2007 (9 Jan). The Beatles. Album Covers.
Two phosphor bands.
Self-adhesive. Photo Walsall. Die-cut irregular perf. 13½-14½.
2690 1946 72p. greenish yellow, magenta, new blue, silver and black “Revolver”
[Source: Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue 2009]

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Sunday/ Coquimbe, Chile 🇨🇱

We arrived at the port city of Coquimbo this morning.
Our excursion today was a bus ride along the shoreline into the neighboring town of La Serena, followed by a drive inland to the commune of Vicuña (pop. 25,000).

The Monumental Lighthouse of La Serena (Faro Monumental de La Serena) is located on the beach at the Avenida del Mar of La Serena. It was built between 1950 and 1951 at the request of President Gabriel González Videla.
The beautiful, parched landscape and cactuses, as seen from our bus on Route 41 on the way to Vicuña.
Lush green vineyards in the Elqui Valley.
We stopped by a pisco distillery on the way to Vicuña . Here is my sample of pisco sour, made from distilled muscatel grapes and lemon juice. Pisco is the national drink of Peru, but a version of it is made in Chile as well.
Here is the municipal theater house in Vicuña.
We were one of four buses full of cruise ship tourists had lunch at this restaurant. We had an empanada appetizer, followed by a large steak with rice and tomato salad, and papaya for dessert. Oh, and they served pisco and original Coca-Cola for drinks.
Back in Coquimbo, for our final stop at a little tourist market next to this church.
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Friday/ Arica, Chile 🇨🇱

Our self-directed excursion into Arica this morning took us up the steep path to the top of the hill called Morro Arrica.

At the top there is an enormous Chilean flag, a museum and a statue called Christ of the Peace (a reference to the Treaty of Lima in 1929 that settled lingering territorial disputes between Peru and Chile).

Morro de Arica is 139 m (459 ft) above sea level.
It was the last bulwark of defense for the Peruvian troops who garrisoned the city during the War of the Pacific (1879–1883). Morro de Arica was assaulted and captured on June 7, 1880, by Chilean troops in the last part of the Tacna and Arica campaign.
The Gothic San Marcos Cathedral dates from 1876 was designed by none other than the French architect Gustave Eiffel.
We are now making our way up to the staircase that run op Morro de Arica. This is the consulate for Peru in Arica.
Mural art at the corner of Cristobal Colon and Morro Street.
More eye-catching mural art nearby.
A view of the city from halfway up the staircase to the top of Morro de Arica.
There is a giant Chilean flag at the top of Morro de Arica.
Looking down at the cruise terminal with Norwegian Sun, Silver Nova and an assortment of fishing boats, presumably.
Cristo de la Paz Statue at the top of Morro de Arica.
Long after the War of the Pacific ended in 1883, the lingering territorial disputes between Peru and Chile were finally settled by the Treaty of Lima in 1929. In this Tacna-Arica compromise, the city of Arica officially became the northernmost point of Chile. As part of this sign of peace, the Cristo de la Paz statue was designed by Raul Valdivieso in 1987 and then erected in 1999 on Morro de Arica, the scene of the crushing Peruvian defeat in 1880. Also called the Cristo de la Concordia, this steel and bronze statue stands 36 feet on a concrete pedestal. The outstretched hands of Christ measure 33 ft across.
[From encirclephotos.com]
Downtown Arica.
A compact fire station in downtown Arica.
The administrative building of the Ferrocarril De Arica a La Paz railway was declared a national monument in 1990. There is a flea market of sorts on the promenade that runs in front of it.
We found this white hibiscus in a park in downtown Arica.
As we returned to the ship, there was live entertainment from a band and dancers— decked out in festive traditional Chilean costumes.
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Tuesday/ Lima, Peru 🇵🇪

Today’s excursion into Lima took us to Lima Main Square (Plaza de Armas) with the Lima Cathedral just adjacent to it.
We also stopped by the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.

On the way back to Callao and the cruise terminal, we stopped at the Parque Domodossola in Miraflores for a look at the Pacific Ocean and the playas (beaches) below.

Colorful housing in Callao. We again drove through Callao (where the cruise terminal is) to get to central Lima.
There are lots of street vendors to be seen in Callao, but also on the city streets in Lima.
Lima Main Square (Plaza de Armas). Unfortunately we could not really walk around the square since preparations are underway for a major celebration.
The Municipal Palace of Lima building that borders the square. The ornate wooden window frame is made from wood from Central America.
Inside Lima Cathedral that also borders the main square. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral. This third and current Cathedral of Lima was built between 1602 and 1797.
Several very ornate and Baroque-style altars are found in coves inside the church. This is of Mary Magdalene holding a golden rose.
The bones of Francisco Pizarro are interred in the Lima Cathedral. Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos, was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose to pursue fortune and adventure in the New World. He was assassinated in 1541 by Spanish soldiers.
[Wikipedia]
This is a beautiful and historic private house a stone’s throw away from the square that we toured. I did not write down the name of the family that owns it.
Inside the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo.
Looking towards the south from Parque Domodossola .. 
.. and looking north.
Another viewpoint from the park, showing the cliffs along the shore. Peru lies outside the infamous ‘Ring of Fire’ series of fault lines, and do get earthquakes and tsunamis from time to time.
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Monday/ treasures at the museum 🏺

We arrived in Lima* this morning, and for our excursion we visited two museums. (We will go and see the city tomorrow).

Museo Oro del Peru, a private collection assembled by Miguel Mujica Gallo, contains a wide assortment of pre-Columbian gold handicraft, weapons, ceremonial objects, jewelry and gold from both the Incas and pre-Inca civilizations.

The Larco Museum is a privately owned museum of pre-Columbian art, located in the Pueblo Libre District of Lima, Peru.

*Technically we arrived in Callao. Lima right next to Callao is a sprawling city of 11 million people with 43 districts.

The view from Norwegian Sun’s top deck as we arrived at the port of Callao at 7.30 am this morning.
Our tour guide Alex beckoning for us to come inside, at the entrance of the Museo Oro.
Golden earrings with incredible detail.
Mask of gold and turqoise, with cinnabar traces. Culture: Lambayeque (700-1350 dC) north coast of Peru.
Decorative clay pot, Chincha (1100-1450 dC)
Embroidery. I didn’t make a note of the date or origin.
There is art everywhere inside the gates of the Museo Oro del Peru. I love the llama.
The following pieces are all from the Larco Museum. This is a ceremonial bowl of gold, Chimu. Imperial Epoch (800 AD-1300 AD).
Chimu Idol. Imperial Epoch (1300 AD-1532 AD).
Another Chimu Idol. Imperial Epoch (1300 AD-1532 AD).
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Sunday/ Salaverry & Trujillo, Peru 🇵🇪

The Norwegian Sun made it into the port town of Salaverry at seven this morning (first picture).
There was a shuttle bus out to the main plaza in Salaverry (third picture), and from there my party of three were left to our own devices to find transport to the city of Trujillo (pop. about 1 million).
This whole area nearby is the site of the great prehistoric Moche and Chimu cultures before the Inca conquest and subsequent expansion.

We solicited a taxi for the 25-minute drive into Trujillo and all went well until we paid the driver in US dollars. Best we could tell that he was not happy with the quality of the $20 and two $5 dollar bills. The US dollars have to be changed into Peruvian Sol by moneychangers for him. Anyway, we gave him the newest dollar bills we had, and that solved the problem.

We used Uber to get back. That was cheaper and worked a lot better: no exchange of paper money needed.

Look for the Plaza de Armas of Trujillo in the pictures below, with the Freedom Monument and the Cathedral of Trujillo nearby.
The beautiful building of UNT Archeology Museum and pictures of just a few of the displays inside, follow after that.

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Monday/ Cartagena, Colombia 🇨🇴

Cartagena (pop. 914,500 in 2020) is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century, with squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination.
– Google

Late Monday afternoon we left Cartagena and sailed almost due west, towards Colon at the northern end of the Panama Canal.

We spent some three hours in the Old Town of Cartagena this morning, and came away with a good impression.
Just be prepared to say no gracias many times, to the street vendors selling t-shirts, hats, bottled water and soda, souvenirs and cubanos (cigars).
The day temperature rose rapidly through the morning, and it was already 90 °F (32 °C) when our taxi driver met us to take us back to the ship.

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Friday 🛸

Here we are, at the last Friday of 2023.
It didn’t feel like December at all here in the city, where we hit a balmy 58 °F (14 °C).

I took this picture on Wednesday, in the parking lot of the REO Flats apartment building on 14th Avenue in Capitol Hill.
Farmer bears are bringing in apples from eastern Washington. And is that an alien spaceship on the Space Needle? Why not— a space ship on the space needle.
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Merry Christmas🎄

A sheet of Christmas Stamps from South Africa, issued in 1979.
Christmas Stamps were first issued in South Africa in 1929.
These stamps are sometimes called ‘Cinderella’ stamps, since they are not good for paying for postage, and not listed in any of the formal stamp catalogues.
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Saturday/ the falling ladder and the mole hill 🪜

I fancy myself to be a hard-core philatelist— at least when it comes to the stamps from South Africa in my collection.

To identify variants of a particular stamp that had been issued, I would say one needs at least a detailed stamp catalogue, a magnifying glass, and a stamp perforation gauge. Let’s also throw in an ultra-violet (UV) light, for stamps tagged with special inks.

1933 6d Orange Tree | Orange and dark green | Perf. 15×14 | Photogravure printing, Die III | Watermark multiple Springbok Heads | Afrikaans or English text
The orange tree on this 6 penny stamp was a symbol for the Orange Free State province of the Union of South Africa.
(After 1994, the Orange Free State province name was shortened to Free State.)
The 6d stamp comes in three different designs (printing dies). In addition, there are two known flaws: the ‘falling ladder’ ($177 per pair) and the ‘mole hill’ * ($147 per pair).  These flawed stamps are sometimes worth ten times or more than the flawless ones*. 
*Then again, in the words of Henry Havelock Ellis ‘The absence of flaw is in itself a flaw’.
[Source: 2016 Stanley Gibbons Stamp Catalogue for Commonwealth & British Empire Stamps 1840-1970)