Canada Post has released a new stamp to mark two important Muslim religious holidays, `Eid Al-Fitr and `Eid Al-Adha.
The commemorative stamp, released on April 3, features a 700-year-old, exquisite ceramic bowl that is in a collection held by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM).
“A lot of artwork from this era is anonymous. This bowl is unique, in that we know exactly when and where it was made, as well as its significance,” said Dr. Fahmida Suleman, curator of the Islamic World collections at the museum in a statement by Canada Post.
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“Although it’s not in its original pristine glory, it’s amazing it has survived as a complete object.”
The bowl, made of stonepaste, is hand-painted with a central, geometric design interlaced with flowers and radiating, patterned bands in cobalt blue, turquoise, dark purple and black pigment.
“The closer you look, the more you realize that it took a long time to plan and make this bowl. It would have been a one-of-a-kind piece and quite an investment for its owner – yet it was functional, as well,” Suleman said.
“I imagine that a number of hands and brains went into its making – from the potters who crafted it to the calligrapher who inscribed the blessing.”
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`Eid Mubarak
Canada Post’s fifth Eid issue, the stamp also features, in calligraphy, the words Eid Mubarak, a traditional Arabic greeting that means “have a blessed Eid”.
“It may seem unusual that an ancient artifact from medieval Iran would make its way onto a Canadian stamp, but it’s really not at all,” says Suleman.
“This is a wonderful reflection of who we are as Canadians and how diverse our country is. We celebrate cultures from across the world here.”
The 2023 issue is Canada Post’s fifth `Eid stamp; the others were issued in 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The `Eid stamp is one of several stamps Canada Post issues each year to mark annual celebrations important to Canada’s culturally diverse population – others include Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas.