Introducing Rakewell, Apollo’s wandering eye on the art world. Look out for regular posts taking a rakish perspective on art and museum stories.
Anyone surprised by North Korea’s Independence Day ‘gift’ is probably not aware of the rogue state’s recent contributions to the world of philately. On 25 June, just in time to celebrate North Korea’s ‘Struggle Against US Imperialism Month’, the country issued two commemorative stamps depicting the righteous fist of the regime smashing American power, represented in the form of a fighter jet and a (not very accurate) depiction of the Capitol Building.
According to the Quartz, these are the latest in a tradition of anti-American propaganda stamps that stretches back to the Korean War. Indeed, one of Pyongyang’s top tourist attractions is the city’s Korean Stamp Museum. Aside from Yank bashing, this also displays stamps commemorating a wide range of subjects – and though information about its holdings is scant, the Rake does hope that it includes the DPRK stamp set commemorating notable of socialist triumphs, the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
