Czeslaw Slania's "Joking Stamps" (Microprints)

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Excerpted from Sweden, page 2 (1966). 

Scott # 699 + 700

Centenary of the National Museum.  The Entrance Hall of the Museum  at the opening in 1866.  The two fragments to the right show the personalization of these stamps.  Pick out the second lady from the left  next to a gentleman, in the middle of the stairs.  If you examine the bottom of her gown, you will find the name LODZIA (short for Leokadija), which was his sister's name,  shaped across the gown.  The name was engraved in such a way that it looked like the natural folds.  

Excerpted from Sweden, page 8 (1973). 

In an interview with the Swedish newspaper "Expressen" on 1st March 1981, Slania has admitted that he has never personally done the Vasa Ski Race.  When asked why he put in the faces of himself and his co-workers on the stamp, he answered: 

"I was sitting home on a Christmas Eve and had to finish the stamp after a photograph.  None of the faces on the photo appeared clearly, so I couldn't engrave them clearly either.  For at least having some clear faces on the stamp I put ours in, and chose my co-workers because I had their photographs at home.  It was the first time my face appeared on a stamp that I have engraved myself. " 

• Sweden 1973.  In Dalecarlia, Sweden.  Scott 994. 

The start of the Vasa Ski Race in Sälen.  Slania has depicted himself in the lower left corner, see close-up.  "J.AFTON 1972" means Christmas Eve 1972, referring to the fact that Slania engraved this stamp on Christmas Eve 1972.

The skier immediately right of Slania is the leader of the Swedish Stamp Printing, Lars-Eric Ewert, and the skier in the middle, a little behind, is Sven Andersson, a technician from the Swedish Stamp Printing.  

Excerpted from Sweden, page 8 (1973), and the page about "Family" (1992).
Also Slania's mother, Jozefa Slania, has "modelled" for one of his engravings. Below left is his famous stamp for the Nordic Museum's 100th anniversary, and below right a private label of his mother Jozefa Slania for your comparison, engraved 1992 (19 years after the stamp was engraved).  

• Sweden 1973.  Potato Planting in Västmanland.   Shortly before this engraving was to be made, Slania was on a camping trip in Germany together with his mother, Jozefa Slania.  A photograph of her from that trip has modelled the potato-planting woman on the right.  SG 752, Scott # 1012. 

Excerpted from United Nations (1986). 

Finally Slania has depicted himself as a stamp collector on these two stamps from the United Nations; a beautiful contribution to philately by the stamp engraver :)

Scott # UN Vienna 63

Scott # 474

Private Labels

World Paper Money

Israeli banknotes of 1000 Sheqel (old), and 1 Sheqel (new).

• 1983 and 1986.  Re-issue of Pick # 49.  Banknotes of 1000 and 1 Sheqel.  Moses Maimonides  [Rabbi Mose ben Maimon] 1135-1204.  Maimonides was a Jewish physician, philosopher and theologist, and the most important rabbi of the ancient ages.  He systematized the Talmud, and through his writings, originally in Arabic and supported by the thinking of Aristotle, he had a great impact of the thinking of Thomas of Aquino and Spinoza.  Pick # 51A. 

Slania has used his own ear as a model for this famous portrait. 

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