Maxicard Gateway to the Yard of the Residence of Djenne (1936)

Country: French Sudan (Soudan Français)

Issue: Definitive series – Local architecture motif - Gateway to the Yard of the Residence of Djenne

Date of Issue: 1931 (exact date: 09/03/1931, part of the French West Africa issues)

Postmark: Circular datestamp CDS – Djenné - Soudan Français, dated 26-5-1935

Postcard: Monochrome photographic illustration depicting a traditional Sudano-Sahelian architectural gateway with conical pinnacles and wooden beams, leading to an inner courtyard with a building in the background. The structure is characteristic of West African adobe architecture.

Justification of Maximum Concordance:

This maximum card originates from French Sudan (present-day Mali) and features a stamp from the French colonial definitive series, inscribed Soudan Français with a face value of 30 centimes. The stamp design aligns with the theme of local architecture, complementing the postcard’s photographic depiction of a monumental gateway built in traditional Sudano-Sahelian style. The postmark from Djenné, in French Sudan (actual Mali), dated 26 May 1935, reinforces the geographical and historical context. Together, the stamp, the image, and the cancellation achieve thematic and territorial concordance, representing the cultural heritage and architectural identity of the region during the colonial period.

Yvert & Tellier: FR-SU 64