With an area of 1,002,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 63 million, the Arab Republic of Egypt is located in the Northeast of Africa, with a small part of its territory (Sinai Peninsula) lying in the Southwest of Asia, which makes it a country bestraddling both Asian and African continents. On May 30,1956,the Arab Republic of Egypt established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.

With a view to promote friendship between China and Egypt, the postal administrations of the two countries have decided to conduct the joint issue of a set of two-piece stamps featuring Ancient Gilded and Gold Masks on Oct. 12, 2001.

On Oct. 16, 2000, the two countries signed the memorandum of understanding on the jointly issue in Cairo (capital of Egypt) and, on Feb. 27, 2001,signed the agreement on the jointly issue and decided on the best stamp design in Cairo. On Oct.12,2001, the first-day issue ceremony was held in DeYang, Sichuan Province of China. Both China and Egypt are ancient civilized countries.

One piece of the joint-issue set of stamps shows the SanXingdui Ancient Gilded Mask of China and the other shows the Gold Mask of Tutankhamen of Egypt. Both are ancient valuable cultural relics of the two countries. The jointly issue is co-designed by Wang Huming, a Chinese stamp designer and Saeid El-Badrawy, an Egyptian stamp designer.

The Sanxingdui Site is located in Guanghan, Sichuan Province. Since 1986, a great number of bronze, jade and gold articles, which belonged to the ancient Shu Kingdom in the Yangtze River valley 3,OOO years ago were unearthed. The gilded mask showed in the stamp is one piece of curiosa among them. It is made of go goldleaf with eyes and brows pierced. The bronze head wearing the golden mask takes s on a quite vivid look.

Tutankhamen was a Pharaoh of ancient Egypt 330O years ago. In 1922, 3 archeologists discovered and opened his tomb in Luxor. The tomb remained intact and the unearthed golden cofins, golden masks, sculptures and handicrafts were all quite splendid and delicate.

The Gold Mask of Tutankhamen showed in the stamp weighs 10.23 kilograms and when covered upon the head of the Tutankhamen mummy, it takes on an elegant and composed appearance.