Two mandarin ducks under an open lotus.
In Vietnam, a wish for a marriage that holds.
Mandarin ducks pair, and a pair set on a palace roof was a wish: for a marriage that held and a household at peace. That is the whole meaning of this motif, and it is why it belongs at a wedding.
The registry covers the kitchen. This is the gift that is not on it and outlasts everything that is. Green and pink, 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk, printed by hand on both faces, hemmed by hand.
2 Mandarin ducks
5A Silk grade
36in Our wedding pick
We pay the import duty, not you.
The 26, 36 and 44 inch ship free to the US; the 22 inch ships for a flat $20. Orders leave Hanoi in 1 to 3 business days and arrive 9 to 15 business days later.
Where the ducks come from
When archaeologists dug up the Thang Long citadel in Hanoi, they found roof tiles with names. Two were called the lotus tile and the mandarin-duck tile, from the Ly and Tran Dynasties.
Duck figures are older still. They appear at Hoa Lu, the capital before the Ly moved to Thang Long.
Our Lotus Serenade puts two ducks under one open lotus. It is the motif in our collection whose subject is a couple rather than a person.
Green and pink is the spring and summer wedding colorway. It reads as a celebration from across a room.
Which size for the couple
22 in
$75 |
A bridal shower gift for the bag or the hair. Light, and easy to carry to the party. |
26 in
$97 |
Headband, neck knot, ponytail wrap. For an engagement or a close friend's shower. |
36 in
$153 |
Head wrap, shoulder cover over the going-away dress, beach sarong on the honeymoon. Our wedding size. |
44 in
$197 |
A shawl for evening receptions, or a pillow cover for the new home. |
For a wedding gift we suggest the 36. Add a silk necklace to complete it.
Is it real silk?
Yes: 100% Grade 5A mulberry silk. Tested at the Textile Testing Center, Vietnam Textile Research Institute. It is an outside lab.
Every box holds a small silk cutting for testing.
Burn a thread or a corner of it 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.
When not to give it
Lotus Serenade is about two people. For a single friend, or when marriage is a painful subject, give Phoenix Dance instead.
She is not a scarf person
Then think of it as art for the new home. At 44 inches it covers a pillow or hangs framed.
Why $75 to $197
Every hem is rolled and stitched by hand. That takes close to an hour, even on a small square. Each face of the silk is printed separately. There is one screen and one pass for every color. Our studio redrew the motif by hand from archive sources.
Going from 26 to 36 inches nearly doubles the silk: 676 against 1,296 square inches.
The hand-rolled edge grows from about 8.5 to 12 feet.
We make everything in our own Hanoi atelier and ship straight to you, with the import duty paid.
Will it arrive for the wedding?
Processing takes 1 to 3 business days. Delivery to the US takes 9 to 15 business days after dispatch.
Wedding season runs May to June and September to October. For a fixed date, allow up to 18 business days.
Missed the day? A gift that arrives in the first month of marriage is welcome.
Duties and returns
Duties: covered by us. The couple pays nothing when it arrives.
Returns: 30 days, in the original box, unused, unwashed and unworn. Return postage for a change of mind is paid by you, and store credit comes with an extra 15%.
Who it is right for
The bride, as a wedding gift The 36, with the story card for both of them.
A friend just engaged The 26, for the announcement dinner.
A bridal shower The 22, the gift that is not a kitchen gadget.
Your partner on Valentine's Day Green and pink is the Valentine's colorway.
How it arrives
Every scarf ships in a rigid gift box with its own bag. The silk is folded in tissue. Inside: a story card and a styling guide with more than 20 ties. There is also a care card and a small silk cutting.
Ordering for the couple? Ship to their address and bill to yours. Leave your note in Order Notes, and we handwrite it on a card. There is no price inside.
How to care for it
Cold water, shampoo or body wash, no detergent. Every 3 to 5 wears is plenty.
Never wring it. Press out the water and dry it flat, out of the sun. Iron it damp on the lowest silk setting.
Specifications
| Material |
100% Grade 5A mulberry silk |
| Weight |
16 momme |
| Print |
Hand screen-printed on both faces |
| Edges |
Hand-rolled, hand-stitched |
| Motif |
Lotus Serenade (Uyen Uong Lien Ha), Ly and Tran Dynasties |
| Colorway |
Green and pink |
| Sizes |
22, 26, 36 and 44 in (55, 65, 90 and 110 cm) |
| Tested |
Textile Testing Center, Vietnam Textile Research Institute |
| Made in |
Hanoi, Vietnam |
Also worth a look: Green and pink, 36 in · Pastel pink silk necklace, $75 · All Lotus Serenade
