《驿使图》
嘉峪关市魏晋5号墓出土的《驿使图》画像砖，长35厘米，宽17厘米。《驿使图》绘于公元3—4世纪前后，画中绘一位驿使，头戴黑帻，身穿白袍，左手执棨。棨是古代的一种木制符信，作为通过关卡、驿站的凭证。驿使座下的马身上有朱红色的斑块，马的四蹄腾空，显示出正在快速奔跑。驿使则稳坐马背，反衬出驿马速度的快捷与信使业务的熟练。《驿使图》生动再现了当时中国西北地区驿使驰送文书的情景，是中国古代邮驿使的珍贵形象资料。这幅图画也被认为是中国最早的邮递员画像。
邮驿是中国传统通信组织形式，现代邮政的前身之一。20世纪80年代初，中国重返万国邮政联盟时，就以《驿使图》作为中国邮政标志物参加了世界万国邮政博览会。如今，《驿使图》悄然成为中国邮政的“形象大使”，经常出现在中国邮政的品牌设计中。
The Courier
The Courier is a pictorial brick unearthed from Tomb No. 5 in Jiayuguan City, dating back to the Wei and Jin dynasties (220-420). Measuring 35 centimeters long and 17 centimeters wide, the artwork was created around the 3rd-4th centuries AD. It depicts a courier wearing a black scarf and a white robe, holding a wooden staff in his left hand. This staff, known as qi, served as a token to pass through checkpoints and relay stations in ancient times. The horse is marked with bright red spots and leaps with all four hooves in the air, indicating it can move fast. The courier sits firmly on horseback, highlighting the speed of the mount and the courier's expertise at his duties. The picture vividly represents a scene of couriers delivering documents in northwestern China during the period and is considered a precious depiction of ancient Chinese postal couriers. This image is also regarded as one of the earliest representations of postal workers in China.
The postal relay system was a traditional communication organization in China and a precursor to modern postal services. In the early 1980s, The Courier was used as a symbol for Chinese postal services at the World Postal Exhibition when China rejoined the Universal Postal Union. Today, it has quietly become the "mascot" of China Post, frequently appearing in logos for the country's postal service.
