Special stamp collection celebrates 40 years of Culture Vannin

The stamps feature archaeology, language and folklore

A special set of stamps featuring the six core pillars of Manx culture has been created to mark 40 years of Culture Vannin.

The six-stamp collection depicts aspects of the island's heritage, including Tynwald Hill, the Manx language and a Loughton sheep.

Culture Vannin said the collection had "managed to capture all aspects of the wide remit" of the organisation.

Set up in 1982 the charity works to promote and preserve Manx heritage.

It supports a range of projects within the worlds of architecture, language, music and dance, as well as Manx Gaelic.

An exhibition of the process of the stamps creation will also go on display

The illustrations were created by artist Jay Cover.

He said the project had been an "opportunity to visualise Manx culture, to stamp it onto paper and send the message, along with your package on a journey to inform people about the nature of being Manx".

The set encompasses archaeology, industrial development, architecture, arts and crafts, history and law, language and literature, music, folk-lore and folk-dance.

An exhibition outlining Mr Cover's process of creating the designs is set to be opened at the charity's headquarters in St John's on Tynwald Day on Tuesday.

Maxine Cannon of Isle of Man Post, which commissioned the stamps, said the collection demonstrated "how important Culture Vannin's contribution and efforts have been in helping Manx culture thrive".

The stamps are due to be issued on Monday.

Originally known as the Manx Heritage Foundation, the organisation was rebranded as Culture Vannin in 2014.