Mel Crawford (Canadian, B. 1925) "China Scenes" Signed lower left. Original Mixed Media painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.N. 20c China Flags of the U.N. Series stamp issued September 23, 1983. Stretching from the snowy-white peaks of Tibet, across the wide Central Plains of the Gobi Desert and concluding at the shores of the Pacific Ocean, the People's Republic of China is an expansive nation...in fact, the third largest in the world. It is also a country of proud heritage, and...with a written history that stretches over three thousand years into the past...it ranks as the world's oldest surviving civilization. It is this ancestry which is recalled in what some people term the world's greatest architectural achievement -- the Great Wall. Completed about 200 b.c. to protect China, the Wall lies like a fossilized dragon slithering across two thousand miles over the peaks and gorges of China's vast terrain. In Chinese custom, another dragon is kept very much alive -- the mythical dragon of the Chinese New Year, which is an ancient symbol of power, fertility and well-being. The nation's crowded, narrow streets are alive with the activity of daily trade. In fact, ever since the times of Marco Polo, China has been active in international trade and famous for her spices, teas, silk and porcelain. Although modern China has changed tremendously, the life of the peasant has changed little over the centuries. Farmers still plant crops the same way their ancestors did, using buffalo to ready the flooded rice paddies. China is also world-renowned as the only remaining natural refuge for the lovable Panda. A nation proud of its ancient heritage, China has grown to become a respected world power. Image Size: 14.25 x 12.25 in. Overall Size: 17.25 x 15 in. Unframed. (B08040)