Invited to dinner at her house?
Skip the wine. Bring something that stays.
A bottle is opened and gone by midnight. This small silk bandana, in its rigid box, is still in her drawer next year, and every time she ties it she remembers the evening.
Imperial Lotus in dark red, 22 inches. 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, 16 momme, with the lotus hand screen-printed on both faces and the edge rolled by hand.
22in Square
Dark red Colorway
2 Printed faces
We pay the import duty, not you.
Shipping is a flat $20 below $90. Add our $15 horn scarf ring and the order ships free. Orders leave Hanoi in 1 to 3 business days, then 9 to 15 business days to you.
A lotus from a palace
This lotus comes from the imperial palaces of Thang Long, in what is now Hanoi, from the 11th to the 15th century.
Archaeologists found it carved into the stone bases of the palace columns. It grew in the palace ponds and was glazed onto the court's ceramics.
Its meaning comes from a Vietnamese saying: the lotus grows in mud and never takes on its smell, a compliment to any woman who keeps her grace. Our guide to what the Imperial Lotus motif means tells the rest.
Dark red is warm and welcoming, the color of a lovely evening.
What she will do with it
On her handbag Rolled and wound up the handle, with a small bow.
In her hair As a ponytail wrap or tied around a bun.
At the neck Knotted small over a plain top.
As a keepsake Framed, a 22 inch square is a small piece of art.
Hosting a larger gathering, or hoping for more drama? The larger sizes run to 44 inches, and our guide to which size to choose compares them.
Is it real silk?
It is 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, 16 momme. The Textile Testing Center of the Vietnam Textile Research Institute tested it. That is an independent lab, not ours.
The box includes a small cutting of the same silk, so you can test it yourself.
Burn a thread or a corner of the cutting over a sink, away from anything flammable, with no children nearby. Silk burns with a smell like burning hair and leaves a soft ash that crushes between your fingers. Polyester melts into a hard bead. It is a home check, not lab proof.
ELLE Vietnam and Harper's Bazaar Vietnam have both covered our studio.
Is the lotus the fabric?
No. It is a hand screen-printed design. The fabric is 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk.
Is $75 too much for a hostess gift?
It is more than a bottle and less than most dinners. Split between two guests it is modest.
The craft in a $75 square
It begins with the hem, rolled and stitched by hand, close to an hour of work even on a small square. Each face is printed in its turn, one color after another, and the artwork was redrawn by hand from archive sources.
Wear the 22 inch weekly for five years. Each wear then costs under 30 cents.
It is all made in our Hanoi atelier and shipped direct, with the duty paid by us.
Will it arrive before the dinner?
1 to 3 business days of processing in Hanoi, then 9 to 15 business days to a US address.
Allow up to 18 business days, about three and a half weeks. Ship it to yourself and bring it along.
For Christmas delivery in the US, we recommend ordering by November 27.
Duties and returns
Duties: we pay the US import duty, so you owe nothing at the door.
Returns: 30 days, unused, unwashed and unworn, in the original box. Change-of-mind return postage is paid by you. Choose store credit instead of a refund and we add 15%.
Other hosts it suits
A Friendsgiving host The one gift on the table that is not food.
A weekend host Leave it on the bed when you go.
A neighbor who helped out A thank-you in a box.
How it arrives
It arrives ready to hand over: a rigid box, a matching bag, the scarf folded in tissue. With it come a story card and an illustrated styling guide. A care card and a small cutting of silk are included.
If it becomes a gift, ship it to her and bill it to you. Your note goes in Order Notes and is copied by hand onto a card. The parcel shows no price.
How to care for it
Wash it after 3 to 5 wears. Use cold water and a little shampoo or body wash.
Squeeze the water out; never wring. Dry it flat in the shade. Iron on the lowest silk setting while slightly damp.
Specifications
| Material |
100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, with a lotus print |
| Weight |
16 momme |
| Print |
Hand screen-printed on both faces |
| Edges |
Hand-rolled, hand-stitched |
| Motif |
Imperial Lotus (Co Do Lien Hoa), Thang Long, 11th to 15th century |
| Colorway |
Dark red |
| Size |
22 x 22 in (55 x 55 cm) |
| Tested |
Textile Testing Center, Vietnam Textile Research Institute |
| Made in |
Hanoi, Vietnam |
Imperial Lotus, 22 inch, dark red.
The hostess gift she keeps.
100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, the lotus screen-printed by hand. Rigid gift box, duty paid.
Add to bag · $75
Free US shipping from $90 No customs fees Gift boxed 30-day returns
Also worth a look: Horn scarf ring, $15 · Pink and green, 22 in · All Imperial Lotus
