When purchased I was told the chair was brought over from the Emperor’s palace for the 1904 St. Louise World’s Fair.  The chair was purchased at the end of the Fair by an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio.  It was purchased from him in 1934 by a lady in Lima, Ohio. I purchased the chair from her estate in approximately 2001.  I have been told that only the Emperor’s furniture could have five toes on its legs.  The chair is handcrafted from zitan (red sandalwood) and has inlaid eyes on the dragon chair arms and the bird on the back of the chair.  Much skill was required to achieve the impressive carvings that cover nearly every area of the chair.