Serbian Cultural Society "Prosvjeta" Labels

with a little help from another stamp board, I have a title to associate with this trio of labels. still working on a good guesstimate of when they were issued.

Can you keep in touch with us, regarding any news on these please?
The iconography is fascinating, any translations you care
to offer?
Any ideas on the blackbird / raven?
What is Prosjveta? Culture?

Perhaps, the black bird is an owl, Pallas Athenea's (culture's goddess) bird ? And the word means "teaching" or "learning"?

The google translator says that the language is Greek, but it cannot translate.

it is Serbian (written in Cyrillic alphabet)

"PROSVJETA" translates as "EDUCATION"

by the way, if you notice the cropping of the left side of the red piece and the right side of the blue piece, that is because all three of these I actually have as horizontal pairs. have debated (and still undecided) whether I want to separate them and share a set.

"Prosvjeta" is the cultural society of Serbs from Croatia, with the residence here in Zagreb. I think that it is founded in the late years of WWII... so, these labels, if they are really connected with that society, could be dated from middle 1940-ies to later.

However, "Prosvjeta" is so common term... and, if you don't have other clues that it is connected with this society, chances are not so big that it is. "Prosvjeta" really means educations... so, it can be used in so many different occasions... and these stamps obviously looks they are from the period before mid-20th century.

For example, here is a scan of the stamp which commemorates a 100 years (1902-1912) of "Prosvjeta" in Bosnia and Herzegovina (a different society in a different country, older than one in Croatia, and also of the Serbian entity.

Great information.
I would personally leave the pieces joined.

The scene is becoming more understandable,
The lass representing Education holds the Laurel Wreath

wiki:
In some countries the laurel wreath is used as symbol of the master's degree. The wreath is given to young masters in the graduation ceremony of the university. The word "Laureate" in 'poet laureate' refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. The medieval Florentine poet and philosopher Dante Alighieri,a graduate of the Sicilian School, is often represented in paintings and sculpture wearing a laurel wreath.

The relaxing Lion is a mystery

Owl--Good one! considered an icon of wisdom
A group of Owls=A Parliament of owls.


I wonder if that is Cupid supporting the Lectern?
Desire for Education?

lion should be a symbol of the strength... after a struggle (possibly a Great War I, or Balkan Wars), it is exhausted, needs a sleep, recovery... strength is still (and always) there, but just needs to be renewed now.

Yep, could be that filipo,
I was thinking strength through education perhaps.
Old Mr. Lion has many interpretations, the Brits love him.

although term "prosvjeta" exactly means education, purpose of that society (in bosnia and hercegovina) wasn't only educational... it was an extremely patriotic serbian organization... covered under the purposes of education and preserving of cultural identity...

and it was forbidden by the governments in some periods also.

I found an anthem (or hymn) which famous Serbian poet from Bosnia (Aleksa Santic 1868-1924) wrote for the society of "Prosvjeta":

Himna "Prosvjeti"

Aleksa Santic;

Podignimo zublje svete
Nek ozare svod Balkana
Nek plamenja zlatna lete
Od Timoka do Jadrana

Svuda gdje se magla svodi
Nek svjetiljke zive gore
Sjaj Prosvjete nek nas vodi
Milom casu srpske zore!

Omladino, preni, leti
U te gleda narod cio
Ti mu slave lovor spleti
On ti vjecan spomen bio

Podignimo zublje svete,
Nek ozare svod Balkana,
Nek plamenja zlatna lete
Od Timoka do Jadrana!


zublje svete = sacred torch

plamenja zlatna = golden rays

lovor = laurel


all visible on the stamps!

Excellent filipo, ties in nicely,
possibly the genesis of the stamp design.

I must say I never seen those stamps before... although im not collecting stamps that long (only since 2005).

Thanks for shearing that nice song filipo