A piece of art from Tanzania

Postcard

A hand painted postcard from Tanzania! A real peace of art. The typical style of painting in Tanzania is Tinga-tinga. The genre is named after its founder, Tanzanian painter Edward Said Tingatinga. This postcard is not in Tinga-tinga style however. It looks similar to the style on the postcard from The Republic of the Congo.

 

Stamp

Birds of the world. Part of a set of four stamps issued 1997.The Cactus Wren is a species of wren that is native to the southwestern United States. It nests in cactus plants.

Thx Steve!

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Traditional Ethiopian Leather Painting Postcard

Postcard

Ethiopian art comes in many forms. One of these is the painting on leather goatskin. Yes you already guessed it, this is actually a postcard made of a piece of worn leather. Beautifully painted in the unique Ethiopian style. 

A ‘childlike’ style of painting, figures are drawn in two dimensions, almost cartoon-like in their direct and simplistic portrayal, with strong colors and clear lines. The large almond-shaped eyes are a particularly appealing characteristic. And look at those feet.

Stamps

Two definitive stamps, Menelik’s Bushbuck. This time the value of 2 Birr and 5 Birr. In Ethiopia two types of Bushbuck can be found: Meneliki and Powelli. Both are fairly widespread and can be seen in much of Ethiopia's highland forest.

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A piece of art from The Republic of the Congo

Postcard

The Republic of the Congo also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is a country located in Central Africa. Not to be confused with the other Congo: the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DR Congo.

It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Angolan exclave of Cabinda. The capital is Brazzaville.

Usually I am not so much into self-made cards but this one is really special. Earlier I received a piece of art from Togo and Ivory Coast.   

Stamp

The stamp is a 2003 issue: Plantes Ornementales - Mauve sauvage. Part of a set of four stamps.

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Ivory Coast | Cote D'Ivoire

Postcard

Ivory Coast is a West African state bordering Ghana in the east, Burkina Faso, Mali in the north, and Guinea and Liberia in the east. To the south lies the Atlantic Ocean.

The first Europeans to visit the area where the Portuguese and later other Europeans followed. Formal French colonial rule was introduced in the 1880s. In 1904, Ivory Coast became part of French West Africa until 1960 when the country regained independence from France.

The current population estimate is approximately 16 million. Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Ivory Coast, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro.

      Stamp

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A piece of art from Togo

Postcard

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located.

Togo's population of over 6 million people (2011 est.) is composed of more than 20 ethnic groups. The two major groups are the Ewe in the South and the Kabye in the North.

According to the sender, this postcard was hand painted by a local artist from Atakpamé. Women carrying things on their head is very common there.

Stamp

50th anniversary of independence (2010)

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