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Colorful square Chinese Qing Dynasty embroidery depicting a phoenix, tiger, cranes, dragon, and tortoise amidst waves, lotus flowers, mountains, and a sun.

Colorful square Chinese Qing Dynasty embroidery depicting a phoenix, tiger, cranes, dragon, and tortoise amidst waves, lotus flowers, mountains, and a sun.

Chinese Qing Dynasty "Mandarin square" embroidery, 32 cm square design, depicting two noble cranes (one flying at left-center, one standing on golden wave crest at right-center), a small distant crane in gold thread above, rolled stylized blue and gold waves, three blooming lotus flowers and one bud among muted jade-green leaves, three moss-green mountains with golden-earth ridges behind cranes, a radiant golden-orange sun in upper right with short rays, a colorful imperial phoenix above the mountains, pale gold and light blue curly clouds. Border 2.5–3 cm wide, with four stylized guardian animals: top—Vermillion Bird with long red-gold tail flowing downward, right—White Tiger with silver-gold outline and black stripes facing inward, bottom—Black Tortoise with hexagonal gold outlines and black snake coiled atop shell, left—Azure Dragon turquoise-green scales coiling upward toward center. Border cloud scrolls in pale gold, continuous Ruyi pattern in gold thread along inner edge, outer trim in narrow gold line. Intricate, symmetrical composition in Qing Dynasty embroidery style, highly detailed, metallic thread shine, flat front view. See more