Date of Issue : 5 April 2014
In the organization of PostEurop, special stamps with the EUROPA logo that every year has a unique central theme for all its members are issued. The theme for 2014 is folk musical instruments, Croatian Post issued a set of two stamps featuring Herzegovinian pipes and dual flutes (dvojnice), instruments that were made and played by the ancestors, and are played till this day.
Dual flutes or Herzegovinian instruments are in fact two flutes that are made from one piece of wood in that way both can be played simultaneously. It is most often made out of dry maple wood, plum, cherry, cornelian cherry or “kljen” wood. Every hole has a labial opening, separated for a couple of centimeters from the above end, in which are located whistles from ash wood. The holes for screening are punctured in a parallel manner, on one side three or four, and on the other side four to five. The melody is always dual from the dual flute, and six tones can maximally be played from each octave.
Herzegovinian pipes are also a dual instrument that have on each side an equal number of holes and are attached to tanned animal skin (goat’s or sheep). On the jugular part of the pipe is placed the top part of maple wood or elder wood with dual flutes in which there are placed two whistles. As decoration, on the front and one back leg are placed boar tusks, while on one back leg and anal opening a wooden decorative box 10 -12 cmof size is placed in order for the bellow to close. In the central part of the abdominal part, a blower is placed that has an irreversible vent. Specificity of playing Herzegovinian pipes is that the melodic follow up is played on the top two or three arrays of holes, and the melody is played on the lower remaining array of holes.
From our Readers…
The Politics of Stamps
It has finally happened. The politics of the Post. For the first time in the history of Independent India, the matter of issuance of Stamps has figured in the Manifesto of a Political party.
In its manifesto issued at Bhubaneswar on the 2nd of April 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Odisha, has mentioned that if elected into office, it would ensure that Odisha is adequately represented by way of its personalities, history, culture and natural assets depicted on the Stamps issued by India Post.
The Eastern India Philatelic Association had written to the three mainstream political parties in the State, asking them to ensure that Odisha gets due representation on stamps. While the other parties ignored the suggestion, the BJP found it an important enough issue to be included it in its manifesto.
The manifesto of a political party is issued to show the priorities that will stretch across the political spectrum for the next five years. Manifestoes usually cover extensive policy areas, but miss out some which affect the citizens. Election campaigns should be about what the voters want to say, not just what the politicians talk about. A Manifesto is a vision document which every political party is duty bound to execute as it is a written promise. All the other promises made in election speeches are just political discourse.
This is a feather in the cap for philatelists. They should take up the matter of promotion of Philately with their elected representatives.
N.B. It is another matter that yours truly, i.e. Anil Dhir, was part of the Manifesto Committee of the Party and steam rolled the proposal through in spiteof stiff opposition. I also promise that once we have a NDA Government in place in the Centre, adequate measures will be taken to promote the hobby of philately both by India Post and the Government. In fact, a proposal to make Philately a curriculum subject (as is prevalent in China) till the middle school level will be mooted. District, State and National Level exhibitions based on a fixed schedule calendar will be done. Good days ahead for Indian philately!
: Anil Dhir – Bhubaneshwar
email : anildhir2k5@hotmail.com
News Clippings
Sanjay Goenka with his collection of odd shape and unique stamps
- The Telegraph 4 April 2014
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