COVER N. 737 - FRANCE

Postmark: Métiers D'Art - Caligraphe - la Poste, 1er Jour Paris 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

It is 10 years since la Poste started a new anual stamp series dedicated to "Les Métiers d'Art" (Arts and crafts).

I think this was an excellent idea, because whenever we see a particular piece from one of the professions highlighted in the series, we always seem to take it for granted, never sparing a thought about the usually long learning curve associated with some very specialised professions that demand absolute control over several rather uncommon skills.

The 2026 issue of this series is dedicated to the Calligrapher and Eric kindly sent me an FDC with the beautiful stamp on it. Un grand merci, Eric.

The market for Calligraphers must really be one very tiny high-end niche, these days. In fact, with the advent of word processors and typography software, hand written messages in a beautiful typeface is something that is reserved for very special occasions like invitations for official ceremonies or banquets, marketing campaigns, certificates or diplomas, etc.

In an era which we can already classify as remote, so fast has been the advancement of technology, Calligraphy was also the work domain of the Copists, an extinct  profession, I presume.

Copists, as the name implies,  used to do what the photocopier first and then the home printer now enables all of us to do. So they had to be good calligraphers... and I can't help but marvel at those huge handwritten books created by calligraphers and illuminators that we see in museums, palaces and libraries, with all those letters that always look as if drawn, not written...

These days though, irrespective of skill and ability, there is a calligrapher inside us all, thanks to technology, but the sheer beauty of human calligraphy will always outclass the too perfect and emotionless letters that computers generate out of electrons...

On 11JUN2026 La Poste issued the 18th stamp of the Métiers d'Art series started in 2011, Dedicated to the calligrapher, the 2.25€ stamp is illustrated with  concentric messages in four different scripts.

Unfortunately I can only make out the word Calligraphie on the outer circle. The second circle reads "Exchanger; Beauté; Mémoire; Culture; Unité; the third Paix; Lien; Mot; Écrire, while the centre is occupied by the letter Phi, the symbol of the Golden Ratio, as a reminder of the  precision and exactness but also aesthetics that are inherent to calligraphy.

The Phy and the third circle are printed in gold, a metaphor for preciousness, and value, I’d say.

This was also one of the stamps issued in the course of Paris Philex 2026, and the First day Postmark  exhibits examples of the word "Calligraphe" in two different scripts...