Aden Kathiri State of Seiyun Painting of Mona Lisa

ADEN KATHIRI STATE OF SEIYUN  (South Arabia) in 1967 issued a first day cover stamp of the Mona Lisa by medieval Renaissance artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci. This was one in a series of stamps depicting renowned artists and their artworks, among them being Renoir, Rembrandt and da Vinci.  Shown with the Mona Lisa stamp is a maxi card of this world famous and iconic portrait. 

The 'Mona Lisa' is believed to have been Lisa del Giocondo, a member of the Gherardini family of Florence and Tuscany, and wife of wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The painting is thought to have been commissioned for their new home, and to celebrate the birth of their second son, Andrea. The Italian name for the painting, La Gioconda, means 'jocund' ('happy' or 'jovial') or, literally, 'the jocund one', a pun on the feminine form of Lisa's married name, Giocondo

The Kathiri State of Seiyun in Hadhramaut was a part of Britain’s Aden Protectorate until 1967. The Kathiris once ruled much of Hadhramaut, but their power was truncated by the rival Qu’aitis in the 19th and 20th centuries, losing Al-Mukalla in the late 19th century process. The Kathiris were eventually restricted to a small inland portion of Hadhramaut with their capital at Seiyun (Say’un). The sultanate entered into treaty relations with the British in 1888 and became a part of the Aden Protectorate.

The Kathiri State declined to join the Federation of South Arabia, but remained under British protection as part of the Protectorate of South Arabia. Al-Husayn ibn Ali, Kathiri sultan since 1949, was overthrown in October 1967, and the following month the former sultanate became part of newly independent South Yemen. South Yemen united with North Yemen in 1990 to become the Republic of Yemen.