5th Somalia Trade Fair- Loading Frankincense in the Land of Punt
This airmail issue draws directly from antiquity to celebrate the deep historical roots of Somali maritime trade. Titled Carico di Incenso nella Terra di Punt (Somalia) su Antiche Navi ("Loading Incense in the Land of Punt [Somalia] onto Ancient Ships"), the composition is inspired by the famous 15th-century BCE bas-reliefs of Queen Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari, which document the historic Egyptian naval expedition to the Land of Punt (widely identified with the northern Somali coast).
The artwork depicts ancient expedition members carrying a living, potted frankincense tree slung on a pole between them toward waiting galleys on the shore. Overhead, a streamlined commercial airliner flies across the sky, directly bridging the ancient resin trade routes of antiquity with modern mid-century air commerce and international trade.
The artwork depicts ancient expedition members carrying a living, potted frankincense tree slung on a pole between them toward waiting galleys on the shore. Overhead, a streamlined commercial airliner flies across the sky, directly bridging the ancient resin trade routes of antiquity with modern mid-century air commerce and international trade.