URU - 2015 - #023 - BRIEF DESCRIPTION - 125 YEARS OF ESO ERIS MUMMY IN URUGUAY

Uruguay - 2015 - 125 Years of the ESO ERIS Mummy in Uruguay  ( Previous / Next )

Options:

SERIES --- 4,50 EUR
STAMP 1 --- 2,00 EUR
STAMP 2 --- 4,00 EUR
SE-TENANT --- 5,00 EUR
BLOCK --- 5,50 EUR
FDC of BLOCK --- 6,50 EUR

If you are interested in any of this items, or any other items from Uruguay, just make a donation including your e-mail in the description.

I will contact you as soon I receive your donation, we agree on which items do you need, and I will discount the donation done to the amount of your purchase.

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: July 23rd, 2015
Printed: 10.000 copies

Stamp Shape and Size: Both Rectangular [27 mm. x 39 mm.]
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

Block Configuration: 1 Series, 2 Stamps [1 x 2]
Block Shape and Size: Rectangular [120 mm. x 60 mm.]

FDC Type: Official Cover from Post Office
FDC Shape and Size: Rectangular [165 mm. x 105 mm.]

Catalogue information:

Michel: No Data Available
Ivert: No Data Available
Scott: No Data Available
Stanley & Gibbons: No Data Available

Topics:

Brief Description:

A brief description of the Most Popular Topics of this Release are: Although it was issued to Celebrate a new year of uninterrupted Diplomatic Relationship between Egypt and Uruguay since 1932, whose natural Topic is International Diplomacy, or Diplomatic Relationships, both Content and Design of the Release made us conclude that Egyptology and Music, were clearly the Topics in which this Issue has his Focus on.

The Content of this Release is clearly directed to Ancient Egyptian History, perhaps more specificaly in it Religion and Culture, as it commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the presence of the ESO ERIS Mummy in Uruguay. This Mummy was donated, by the Uruguayan Engineer Luis Viglione, to the National Museum of Natural Arts, in 1890. Studies indicate that the Mummified Body dates from between 664 and 525 BC. ESO-ERIS was a Priestess of the Temple of God Min, in the city of Akhmim, where during Religious Ceremonies ran a Musical Instrument called Sistrum, and in this Role of ESO-ERIS it is implied the relationship with Music Topic, which will be clearly reinforced also by the Design.

Then, looking more at the desing of the Issue, besides that all Elements in the Release are connected with Egyptology, the foucus is put in the Topic Music, honouring the Role of ESO-ERIS, and other Priestesses of the Temple of God Min, which this connection between Music and Religion, put them in the Highest Status in Ancient Egyptian Culture.

The connection with Music in the Design are two, both Related in particular with Musical Instruments. One is made by the First Stamp, that shows a Sistrum, a Musical Instrument of the Percussion Family, chiefly associated with Ancient Iraq and Egypt, that consists of a Handle and a U-shaped Metal Frame, made of Brass or Bronze and between 30 and 76 cm in width, that, when shaken, the small rings or loops of thin metal on its movable crossbars produce a sound that can be from a Soft Clank to a Loud Jangling. Its name in the Ancient Egyptian language was Sekhem (sḫm) and Sesheshet (sššt). Sekhem is the simpler, Hoop-like Sistrum, while Sesheshet (an onomatopoeic word) is the Naos-shaped one.

The second connection to Music, is done outside the Stamps, in the Block decoration, as the Main Scene represented in the Block is a group of three Priestesses of the Temple of God Min running different Musical Instruments during a Religious Ceremony. The Musical Instruments shown in this Scene seems to be some similar, when reading the Design from left to right, to the actual ones: Flute, Guitar, and Harp, however, the precise name of these Musical Instruments it is not said in the Design.

Also from this Scene other Topics arises, the most related one could be Ancient Egyptian Clothes, as the Block shows how the Priestesses of the Temple of God Min usually were dressed in. As in these Ceremonies, Priestesses used to wear Semi-Transparent Clothes or being barely Naked, Nudes or Female Nudes, could be included as Topics of this Issue too, and finally, Earrings, Jewlery, Dresses, and Wigs, are Topics that also are related to this Release through this Scene.

Then, the Background of the Block includes in a clever way the Texture of the Linen, a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is laborious to manufacture, but the fiber is very absorbent, and garments made of linen are valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather, that it is why Linen was the most common textile in Ancient Egyptian Culture, and also the only one not forbidden in Temples and Sanctuaries.

The last Topics included by the Block, are a minor and possible Arabic Characters, and another way more Popular as it is Flags, as the Block Design includes in it Right-Top Corner both, the Flag of Egypt, and the Flag of Uruguay. The Flag of Egypt is a tricolour consisting of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation Flag dating back to the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and the flag bears Egypt's National Emblem, the Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band. So, besides much of Arab History is include in the Flag, also Birds, and Eagles or Birds of Prey Topics are included too by the Egyptian Flag. Then the Flag of Uruguay includes the presence of the Sun, and with this the Topics Astronomy and Space are linked by this issue, and in particular this Sun, the Sun of May refers to the May Revolution, a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. The result was the removal of Viceroy Baltasar Hidalgo de Cisneros and the establishment of a local government, the Primera Junta (First Junta), on May 25. It is also claimed that the Sun of May is a representation of the Inca Sun god Inti, and also another view is that is influenced by the emblem of the French Revolution, and that emblem was taken from the Freemasonic representations of the All-seeing eye.

Now, returning to Stamps, more precisely to Stamp Two, which design was not analyzed yet, it clearly includes Mask Topic, and more specifically Funerary Mask or Mortuary Mask. It also, because of the Materials in which it was made, Metals and in particular Gold get related to this Release by the Mask. Then, also Egyptian Hieroglyphs, as some of them are seen in the Mask decoration, so Language, and Ancient Egyptian Art, is included too.

Finally, just a few words about the First Day Cancellation, that it is a nice piece of Art, showing one Architectural Capital specific for the Ancient Egyptian Civilization, that relates this issue to Architecture and also to Columns Topics.

If you consider that there are another topics in this stamp, that were not spot in this review, you are encouraged to telling me about them, so please do not hesitate to post a comment. I would appreciate your help very much.