3918) National Archaeological Discoveries, Slovenia: Post of Slovenia, (or Pošta Slovenije in Slovenian) has issued two EUROPA Stamps featuring a Bronze Apollo Statuette and a Centaur Archer: Date/Year of Stamp issue: 09.05.2025:
About EUROPA Stamps:
EUROPA Stamps are special stamps issued by European postal administrations.
They bear the official EUROPA logo, a PostEurop registered trademark under the aegis of PostEurop in which Europe is the central theme.
EUROPA stamp issues are among the most collected and most popular stamps in the world and have been issued for over 60 years.
Every year a new theme is assigned by PostEurop and all participating countries issue stamps with their own interpretation of the theme. The theme for 2025 is "National Archeological Discoveries".
More about EUROPA Postage Stamps:
EUROPA Postage stamps (also known as Europa - CEPT - European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations - until 1992) are special stamps issued by European Postal Administrations/Enterprises and bears the official EUROPA logo, a PostEurop registered trademark under the aegis of PostEurop in which Europe is the central theme.
EUROPA stamps underline cooperation in the posts domain, aimed at promotion of philately. They also build awareness of the common roots, culture and history of Europe and its common goals.
As such, EUROPA stamp issues are among the most collected and most popular stamps in the world.
Since the first issue in 1956, EUROPA stamps have been a tangible symbol of Europe's desire for closer integration and co-operation.
In 1993, PostEurop became responsible for issuing EUROPA stamps.
When CEPT decided to focus more on telecommunications in 1993, PostEurop took over the management of the Europa issues. The CEPT logo was replaced by a new logo created by PostEurop i.e. the word "EUROPA" leaning towards the right hand side.
Each year, PostEurop's "Stamps & Philately Group" selects the EUROPA stamp theme:
1993 - Contemporary Art
1994 - Great Discoveries
1995 - Peace and Freedom
1996 - Famous women
1997 - Tales and legends
1998 - Festivals and National Celebrations
1999 - Nature Reserves and Parks
2000 - Common Design. Tower of 6 stars
2001 - Water - Treasure of Nature
2002 - The Circus
2003 - Poster Art
2004 - Holidays
2005 - Gastronomy
2006 - Integration through the eyes of Young People
2007 - Scout Centenary
2008 - Writing Letters
2009 - Astronomy
2010 - Children Books
2011 - Forests - International Year of Forests
2012 - Visit …. (for instance "Visit Finland" etc.)
2013 - Van of the Postman - Postal vehicles
2014 - Musical instruments - National musical instruments
2015 - Old Toys
2016 - Ecology in Europe - "Think Green". Common Design
2017 - Castles
2018 - Bridges
2019 - National Birds
2020 - Ancient Postal Routes
2021 - Endangered National Wildlife
2022 - Stories & Myths.
2023 - PEACE – The highest value of humanity
2024 - Underwater fauna and flora
2025 - National Archaeological discoveries
2026 - Common design: 70th anniversary of EUROPA stamps
2027 - Street art
About EUROPA - National Archaeological Discoveries, Slovenia: Post of Slovenia, (or Pošta Slovenije in Slovenian) has issued two EUROPA Stamps featuring a Bronze Apollo Statuette and a Centaur Archer:
The EUROPA Stamps:
Bronze Apollo statuette:
This 11.5 cm high statuette was found in the river Ljubljanica near the village of Blatna Brezovica.
It depicts a naked male figure with a hairstyle typical of Classical/ Hellenistic depictions of the Greek and Roman god Apollo.
The collar, however, does not match traditional depictions of Apollo and is a distinctly Celtic element. The pose of the body and the position of the arms are reminiscent of Italo-Etruscan statuettes.
This statuette is assumed to have been made in north-eastern Italy or its eastern hinterland, including the wider surrounding area of the site where it was found.
It was probably made during the period of the Romanisation of the Vrhnika and Ljubljana areas in the middle or second half of the first century BC.
It represents a non-Roman deity who, under the influence of Roman culture, was identified with Apollo. This deity could be the god Belenus, whose cult extended across north-eastern Italy and the region known as Noricum (mainly in present-day Austria), and who was of pre-Roman origin.
There are no known depictions of Belenus – with the possible exception of this statuette from the Ljubljanica – but he is known of from Roman-era inscriptions, in which he is referred to as Apollon Belenus.
The statuette is thought to have been thrown into the river as a votive offering.
(compiled by: Janka Istenič, National Museum of Slovenia)
Centaur Archer:
Round brooches made of plated bronze over an iron core are relatively common finds in Slav cemeteries from the eighth and ninth centuries in Slovenia’s Gorenjska region. Notable among them, for the quality of workmanship and, above all, for the depiction of a centaur archer, is this brooch from the Brda cemetery near Bled.
In stylistic terms it belongs to Carolingian art, which drew on illuminated manuscripts. Most comparable artefacts are from sites in the Upper Danube basin and the Rhineland.
The figure of the centaur archer developed in Babylonian art before 1000 BC as a symbol of the zodiac sign Sagittarius. It entered Roman and medieval astrological depictions of Sagittarius via Egypt and was later adopted in Christianity
We will probably never know exactly how this brooch ended up in a Slav grave in the Brda cemetery near Bled.
It may have been made by a Christian who based the design on an illustration from an illuminated manuscript.
On the other hand, the Slavs, who were pagans when they settled this area in the sixth century and whose Christianisation under the Carolingians had only just begun in the eighth century, probably did not see this design as a Christian symbol but as a pagan one.
The centaur archer may have reminded them of Perun the Thunderer, the supreme god of the Slavs, who could also be depicted as a horseman with a thunderbolt or bow in his hand.
(Daša Pavlovič, National Museum of Slovenia
Issue Date: 09.05.2025
Designer: Edi Berk
Printer: Agencija za komercijalnu djelatnost d.o.o., Zagreb, Croatia
Process: Offset
Colours: 4 Colours (CMYK)
Size: 29.82 mm x 42.60 mm
Values: EUR 1.79, EUR 2.06
17) "Ancient Postal Routes - the Old Road Majstorska Cesta", Croatia: A Se-tenant of two Stamps of the values of 8.60 HRK issued by Croatian Post: Date of stamp issue: 08.05.2020
Links to Posts on Slovenia on this Blog:
Rajan Trikhahas commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting post 👍"
Thank you so much Trikha sahab.
Delete