Sale 75 Asian Stamps & Postal History

China, 1888 Small Dragon perf. 11½-12 1ca. bright green, Setting IV, a complete interpanneau sheet of forty, right Pane with variety imperforate left interpane (gutter) margin, Pane 1, position 10 [3] broken frame under "n" of "candarin", and Pane 2, position 2 [11] extra dot at upper right of "Dah", position 7 [1] broken frames at top left and lower left, and position 8 [2] smaller size cliché, bright fresh colour, well centred, fine unused with much original gum, lightly folded along a few rows of perfs., small tones in the four outside corners of the selvedge and a few light tone spots on gum, in an excellent state of conservation for this rare sheet. Chan 19, b, c, d, e, h.
Estimate HK$ 250,000 - 300,000

Provenance: Major James Starr, Sotheby's (London), 11.9.1991, lot 352
Christie's (Hong Kong), 1.11.1995, lot 2673.

References: Michael M.Y. Ho, The Small Dragon (Taipei, 2016). p. 57. The other recorded sheet is illustrated in this book.

ACCORDING TO MICHAEL HO, ONLY TWO COMPLETE SHEETS OF FORTY ARE RECORDED WITH THE RIGHT PANE HAVING THE IMPERFORATE LEFT GUTTER MARGIN.