Kuala Lumpur, Friday - Pos Malaysia will be issuing Special Stamps and First Day Cover featuring Traditional Wedding Costumes on 23 March 2009. The stamps will feature the traditional costumes worn by brides and bridegrooms from various races in Malaysia.
The issuance of the Traditional Wedding Costumes stamps collection will give collectors a chance to learn about the traditional costumes and highly value the beautiful and fine designs of Malaysian art reflected on the fabric such as the motives woven on the cloth as well as the intricate beadings and embroidery. This also reveals the richness of culture and art that Malaysia possesses.
“The stamps and First Day Cover will be another collector’s item not to be missed as it is the first time for a collection of stamps to be issued in the traditional wedding theme. As a government-linked company, we are always emphasizing on the Malaysia brand by highlighting its beauty and heritage in our stamps” said Dato’ Syed Faisal Albar, Group Managing Director / CEO of Pos Malaysia.
The stamps, 30mm X 50mm in size, are printed in sheets of 20 on SPM watermarked, phosphor coated paper and all are in 50 sen denomination.
- Malay
The Malay bride and bridegroom in their traditional wedding attire made of songket cloth woven in the pattern of ‘bunga tabur’. The bride wore Baju Kebaya Labuh, a classic styled costume worn with matching sarung and long shawl also made from songket. A decorative headgear and other accessories are added as the finishing for her as the queen of the day. The bridegroom wore a Baju Kurung Cekak Musang top with a headgear called Tengkolok, waistband, samping and keris that completes the wedding costume. Bunga telur which is a decorative ornament used during weddings is shown in the background of this stamp. - Indian
The stamp depicts an Indian bride and bridegroom in their traditional colourful wedding attire. The bride is in a beautiful silk saree and matching blouse with gold thread embroidery while the bridegroom is in his Vashtee, a long-sleeved shirt and matching cotton cloth woven with gold thread. The bride is adorned with flowers in her hair and garlands of flowers round their neck, with flower bouquets in their hands. In the background is a picture of a garland, normally used in Indian weddings. - Chinese
The Chinese bridal couple looks resplendent in the traditional wedding costume, reminiscent of a bygone era. The bride is dressed in an embroidered skirt with a matching long red silk jacket, and around her neck is a large elaborately decorated detachable collar, resembling the neck feathers of the phoenix. On her head is an ornate headdress made of gilded gold and silver inlaid with kingfisher feathers and embellished with pearls and red pom-poms. The bridegroom’s wedding attire is a long embroidered dragon robe. He wears a black hat with red tassels.
The combination of the dragon and phoenix symbolizes the balance of male and female power. Red, the favourite colour since the Ming Dynasty and the “double happiness” symbol shown in the background of the stamp represents luck and signifies love and prosperity. - Bajau
The Bajau bridal costume is the badu sipak; the yellow blouse made of satin with flared sleeves, showing off an underblouse of a contrasting hue and the Olos Berangkit which is a full-length black wrap-skirt with a vertical panel of berangkit in front. Other interesting accessories adorn the bride such as mandapun, a decorative ornament with stylized silver or gold leaves worn around the neckline; sarempak, a two-piece head decoration in the shape of a ship made of gilded silver and garigai, small ornaments dangling down from the hair bun. Silver bangles and jewellery such as the ingkot pangkat; the silver coin belt and keku; long tapered, gold fingercovers complete the finishing touch for the bride.
The bridegroom id adorned in the badu which is similar to the bride’s badu sipak but in green colour with a pair of pants known as suar. Accessories adorned by the bridegroom is the kain dastar headdress and ingkot pangkat with supu attached and a sash at his waist.
Tipo Serisir, a mat made of woven silk material dan beadwork is a decorative item used during weddings. - Orang Ulu
The costume for the Orang Ulu bridegroom is an embroidered bead vest and a loin-cloth. The headgear is fashioned from feathers and woven beads. The Orang Ulu bride is in a colourful sequinned dress called 'basung' and 'ta'ah'. The head is beautifully adorned with a 'lavung doh'.
Bunga Jarau, the wood ornament shown in the background of the stamp is a decorative item used at weddings.
First Day Covers are at 30 sen each and Stamp Booklets are at RM 3.00 can be purchased at all Post Offices nationwide. Folders at RM5.50 each is only available at selected post offices.