A Qing Dynasty silk embroidery featuring a three-clawed dragon has been donated to the Chiayi County Embroidery Culture Museum by an American, the Puzih City (朴子) mayor said on Friday.
The 58cm by 51cm embroidery of a silver dragon with golden eyes and claws on a light green background was received by Puzih Mayor Wang Ju-ching (王如經) on behalf of the museum at a ceremony at the city office on Friday.
It was the first time the museum has received a donation to its collection from overseas, Wang said.
Photo: CNA
The donor, Nevada resident Stephen Pisturino, was not at the ceremony, but said by telephone that the embroidery was given to him as a gift by a native Indian arts teacher.
The arts teacher told Pisturino that the original owner was an imperial concubine from China, while an antiques expert told him the embroidery was made in Hunan, China, in about 1880.
The expert told Pisturino that if the dragon had five claws it would have meant it belonged to the emperor, Wang added.
The museum stores the city’s embroidery industry records and holds a vast collection of elaborate embroidery, the county’s Culture and Tourism Bureau Web site said.
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