About the inspiration for the feature stamp : first off, it's important to know that in Oriental cultures, Dragons are nothing to fear; rather, they are considered signs of Hope for a promising future. And in Oriental cultures, when parades occur to celebrate any particular Lunar New Year, it's common for a parade to feature a brightly arrayed, hand-made dragon on a float, which is wheeled down packed streets as festive onlookers cheer the beginning of yet another New Year (in the Chinese-lunar scheme of things, that is). 

About the feature stamp, itself : with that in mind, stamp artist, Kam Mak (who, interestingly enough was born in New York City's Chinatown) casts the spotlight of a flashy parade-dragon, ornately colored with a wide array of flashy hues.  

About the hand painted cachet : as you may well know, much of World War II Aircraft Nose Art featured naked women in order to boost the morale of our combat aviators . . . but not in every case. On this potent cachet, the nose-art consists of an horrendous dragon with his arrow-head teeth on full display, while none other than “the Dragon Lady” is bravely standing next to him with her knife in hand, in case the Dragon “goes bonkers.”    

About the Cancellation : and for this one, Mr. Gassen obtained a very well-positioned bar cancel from San Francisco, California.

About the Scarcity Factor : and if the Scarcity Factor is an important consideration for you, please note that only 16 of these pieces were made, with this particular FDC having been numbered 8/16, on the cover’s flip-side.  

All in all, a very potent piece of work, indeed.  

INTERESTINGTIDBIT # 1 : those born in the Year of the Dragon are most interesting people. Although they tend to come across as being over-demanding and even a bit self-absorbed at times, they are likewise known to be quite generous, very intelligent, passionate in all of their endeavors, and quite artistic. That being said, some famous people . . . both alive and gone . . . who were born under a Year of the Dragon cycle include actors Al Pacino, Kirk Douglas, and Gregory Peck --- Rock stars, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Adele --- Mobster, John Gotti --- Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi --- and so-on and so-forth

INTERESTINGTIDBIT # 2 : the interestingly enough, we are currently in the Year of the Dragon cycle, which began on February 10, 2024. The Year of the Dragon will officially end on January 28, 2025.

INTERESTING TIDBIT # 3 : in the October 15,2008 issue of First Days (the official publication of the American First Day Cover Society . . . or the AFDCS, as it is also known as) the informed writer Arthur Glaser composed a 3 page article which was devoted to Mr. Gassen contributions to the Hobby, as well as some interesting tidbits about Gassen's personal life. What impressed me the most about the article is the painstakingly long process Gassen goes through to produce his top-notch covers. That is to say, “Larry cuts, folds, and glues each of his covers,” rather than simply buying envelopes. (And, interestingly enough, the article also points out that “Larry is a retired high school teacher and coach.”)

Before I close out this auction description, let'sget back to First Days for just a moment --- if you are not yet a member of the AFDCS (American First Day Cover Society), which publishes First Days, you might want to check out their site at www.AFDCS.org. The magazine is quite informative, and it will keep you very much in-tune and up-to-date with all Hobby issues, both past and present. (Most informed Hobbyists are members.)