Chinese Postman Republican Era – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure

English Title & Specific Name

• Figure Title: Chinese Postman Republican Era – Custom Printed Brick Block Figure
• Historical Era: Republican-era China.
• Faction / Military Branch: Chinese postal service theme; no exact postal district or appointment identified.

Detailed Character Identification, Description, and Historical Background

Character Identification

An unnamed Republican-era Chinese postman with an olive-green peaked cap, four-pocket tunic design and printed postal satchel on the rear.

Detailed Character Description

The physical olive-green peaked cap matches the uniform. A calm face with cheek-line artwork sits above a buttoned tunic with four outlined pocket designs and small collar markings. A pale diagonal printed strap crosses the chest.

The rear view reveals the matching cream-colored satchel illustration with Chinese postal lettering and dark edging. Olive trousers have crease details, pale printed lower-leg wraps and black shoes. The satchel and strap are flat artwork on the figure, with no separate bag or letters in the hands.

Historical / Thematic Background

Republican-era postal work inherited a system of modernization established under the late Qing. China’s national postal service received legal authorization in 1896, followed by the opening of the imperial post office in 1897. The Postal Museum distinguishes this public postal development from the older courier system used for military and government messages, placing ordinary correspondence within a wider history of access to communication.

Postal connections also extended beyond domestic delivery. The Smithsonian National Postal Museum records growing mail and commerce between China and the United States from 1911 to 1949. Airmail shortened delivery times, and Pacific air services reached China in 1937. Sorting offices, transport routes and local delivery together formed a network connecting individual senders with much larger national and international systems.

The postman represents the human end of that communication chain: a recognizable worker associated with the arrival of news and personal correspondence. A post-office doorway or town street offers a fitting setting alongside the other service figures. The miniature’s green uniform and printed Chinese-lettered satchel establish its postal theme, while leaving its exact route, employer branch and service date open.

Included Contents

One complete postman brick figure with the pictured olive-green peaked cap. Satchel, shoulder strap, pockets and leg wraps are printed artwork. No separate postal bag, letters or loose delivery equipment is included.