Jesus and the Crucifixion grace Vatican and Slovakian Easter stamps

New Stamps of the World  —  By Denise McCarty

Easter stamps issued March 15 by Croatia and Feb. 6 by Vatican City represent the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, respectively.

The 3.10-kuna Croatian stamp reproduces a painting by Mile Skracic (1933-2013) of Jesus being taken down from the Cross. It is part of a series that he created for the Stations of the Cross at the Church of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in the village of Dubrave in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 95¢ Vatican City stamp reproduces the painting Risen Christ by Spanish artist Raul Berzosa. His work also is shown on three previous Vatican City stamps: the 2015 St. Philip Neri and St. Teresa of Avila commemorative (Scott 1605), the 2016 stamp celebrating the 80th birthday of Pope Francis (1636), and the 2017 stamp marking the 50th anniversary of the encyclical Populorum Progressio by Pope Paul VI (1660).

Slovakia’s nondenominated domestic-rate Easter stamp issued Feb. 27 depicts a detail from an embroidered chalice veil that is now part of the collection of  the Museum of History of the Slovak National Museum.

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Shown in the center of this chalice covering is an image of a crown and a pelican (as a symbol of Christ) feeding its young with its blood.

Vladislav Rostoka designed the stamp, which also includes a symbolic cross formed by white dots in the lower left.