Hello!
Today, from the 1,422 stamps engraved by Czesław Słania (1921–2005) — known as “the magician of the burin” — I’d like to share Postio Marche’s Top 10!
I didn’t choose them through an expert’s eyes, but in the Postio Marche spirit: stamps that are exciting to look at and line up together ♪
Postio Marche’s Top 10 Słania Stamps
No. 1 — Sweden, 1975: Ballet
The motif is the dancers of a pas de deux from Romeo & Juliet.
It’s a small stamp, but so beautiful you could look at it forever.
It was also in the top 10 that Słania chose himself in 1995.
The same design was used for a stamp issued by Ireland in 2010 as a joint issue with Sweden.
On the Swedish side, Słania’s stamp was placed at the lower right of the souvenir sheet.
No. 2 — Sweden, 1976: Bobbin Lace Maker
Everything is delicately rendered — from the woman’s expression to lace patterns you can’t even see without zooming in.
No. 3 — Monaco, 1993: Princess Grace / USA: Grace Kelly
As I mentioned in Vol. 1, these Princess Grace (Grace Patricia Kelly, 1929–1982) stamps are one of the reasons I became interested in Słania.
They were issued by Monaco and the USA in 1993 with a shared design.
Monaco’s is titled “Princess Grace,” and the American one “Grace Kelly.”
Both are based on the same photograph, but each country asked Słania to create its own original engraving.
If you enlarge them, you can spot subtle differences.
You’ll find close-up images of the Princess Grace stamp in this post:
👉 Czesław Słania, Master of Stamp Engraving — The Magician of the Burin, Vol. 1
No. 4 — Sweden, 1971: The Wonderful Adventures of Nils
The white swan stands out against the blue background. The design is simple & clean, yet the swan looks as if it could fly right off the stamp.
The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (Nils Holgerssons underbara resa genom Sverige) is a novel by Selma Lagerlöf, published in two parts in 1906–1907. It was originally written as a geography reader for Swedish schoolchildren and is regarded as an enduring classic of Swedish children’s literature.
No. 5 — Sweden, 1969: Swedish Fairy Tales
The second stamp from the top is another scene from The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.
Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking is a beloved national classic.
Another motif is “Vill-Vallareman,” the fairy-tale shepherd boy.
No. 6 — Denmark, 1973: Tycho Brahe — 400 Years Since His New Star
A rare Słania stamp without the “SLANIA” signature.
Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) was a Danish nobleman & astronomer.
This stamp marks 400 years since his work on the supernova of 1572 (“Tycho’s Nova”), published in De nova stella in 1573.
No. 7 — Sweden, 1981: Definitive (Gyrfalcon)
His portraits are wonderful, but I’m also drawn to his birds and animals.
In medieval Europe, the gyrfalcon is said to have been considered “the noblest of birds.”
As the highest-value definitive of its day, it is a stamp full of dignity.
No. 8 — Sweden, 1971: The Gredinge Tapestry
Słania’s precision is well known, but here he engraved even the background weave of the tapestry.
At first, I didn’t even realize this was an engraving!
No. 9 — Sweden, 1970: 25th Anniversary of the United Nations
This one is on the list for its graphic design.
It has been a popular design stamp in my shop since it opened, and I was delighted to discover it was Słania’s work.
No. 10 — Denmark, 1965: Child Welfare
A heartwarming design: a cheerful little girl’s face against an orange background.
Słania’s skill brings the liveliness of a child to life.
No. 10 — Faroe Islands, 2001: 25 Years of the Faroese Postal Service
The design is based on a real Faroese postman.
The engraved area of the souvenir sheet measures 116 mm × 75 mm — the largest of any Słania souvenir sheet.
The postman is boldly placed to make the most of the sheet’s open space.
The postman’s name is J.P. Henriksen. Apparently, mail was carried by hand in those days. (I wonder if he ever dropped any…)
No. 10 — Sweden, 1994: WWF Swedish Birds
Each bird’s character comes through, and the tern protecting its chick conveys a clear message about protecting nature.
WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature, is one of the largest nature conservation organizations in the world.
(I just couldn’t narrow it down, so three stamps share 10th place.)
Summary
That was Postio Marche’s Top 10 from among Słania’s engraved stamps.
Słania fans — did you find your favorite here?
Here is the post on the top 10 that Słania chose himself:
👉 Czesław Słania, Master of Stamp Engraving — Vol. 3: His Own Top 10 Stamps
I’ll keep introducing Słania stamps from many different angles!
Postio Marche, my online shop for foreign stamps, has a dedicated Słania stamp collection — please take a look.
👉 Postio Marche — Czesław Słania Stamps
Some of the stamps shown are from a private collection. Items available for purchase are those listed in the shop only.
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