Canadian 'Year of The Rabbit' Stamp Inspired by Traditional Chinese Embroidery

Canada Post has issued two stamps designed by Paul Haslip (shown here) in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar Year of the Rabbit .

Paul is quoted in an article by writer Shi Rong on the xinhuanet.com website as saying, ""I thought rather than a rabbit sitting there and looking at us, let's have this rabbit on the move. We want to be a little more playful with it, so that's one thing make this very unique. That is a basic raw idea; everything else is built from there."

His words were echoed by Alain Leduc, Stamp Design Manager with Canada Post.

Leduc said, "There's the need to come up with a design that's as multi-dimensional and powerful as the previous one, but also something very different from the past stamps in the series."

According to the article, "The international stamp was inspired by traditional Chinese embroidery. The image of two rabbits chasing each other in an endless circle is based on a traditional Chinese robe medallion. The stamp also uses gold foil to mimic the metallic gold thread in the embroidered design. This element also signifies that this is the Year of the metal rabbit, which occurs every 60 years."

To read the entire article, click here.