This is an official ArtCraft First Day Cover for the 1978 U.S. Christmas stamp, postmarked October 18, 1978, in Washington, DC. The 15¢ stamp reproduces the glazed terracotta sculpture "Madonna and Child with Cherubim" from the studio of Andrea della Robbia, held in the National Gallery of Art.
Christmas stamps became a permanent part of the U.S. stamp program in 1962. By 1978 the Postal Service regularly chose major works of religious art for the holiday issue, allowing collectors to appreciate Renaissance sculpture through philately while sending seasonal mail.
The blue-and-white cachet features the same della Robbia composition with an added radiant star, the text "Season's Greetings Christmas 1978," and the ArtCraft copyright. The stamp itself carries the inscription "Andrea della Robbia: National Gallery Christmas USA 15¢."
A clean, well-centered cover in excellent condition, this FDC makes an attractive addition to any Christmas topical or art-on-stamps collection.
