Joyful Plum Blossom Suzhou Embroidered Mulberry Silk Scarf / Shawl

The name 喜上梅梢 plays on a much-loved Chinese blessing, "joy rising to the brows" (喜上眉梢), in which the brow (眉) becomes the plum blossom (梅). In classical painting, a magpie perched on a flowering plum branch carries this wish for happiness close at hand. The plum is also the first flower to open in the cold of late winter, and its five petals have long been read as the five blessings (五福). Here a single branch of blossom is worked by hand in Suzhou embroidery (苏绣), in soft shades of rose and blush with stems traced in gold-toned thread, across a ground of champagne silk.

Key Features

• Hand Suzhou Embroidery: The blossoms are embroidered by hand in the Suzhou tradition, one of China's four great embroidery schools (四大名绣), inscribed on the first national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
• Refined Needlework: Fine, closely laid stitches shade each petal from white to deep rose, in the delicate, painterly style for which Suzhou embroidery is known.
• A Blessing in Bloom: The plum blossom motif carries wishes of joy, resilience and good fortune, making the piece rich in meaning as well as beauty.
• Two Weights of Silk: Lustrous silk satin is paired with airy silk chiffon, giving the scarf both body and a light, floating drape.
• Hand-Rolled Hem: The edges are rolled and stitched by hand for a soft, natural line.

How to Wear

At 190 × 65 cm, this piece is generous enough to wear as a shawl over the shoulders for an evening out, with the embroidered branch falling at the front. It can also be looped loosely around the neck as a long scarf, or draped over the arms with a qipao or simple dress. The champagne ground sits easily with ivory, soft greys and black.

A Gift Ready to Give

Each scarf arrives folded in a red presentation box. Red is the colour of celebration in Chinese tradition, which makes this a considered gift for the Lunar New Year, birthdays, and other milestones, ready to give as it is.

Materials & Details

• Fabric: 100% mulberry silk (桑蚕丝)
• Weave: 16 momme silk satin (素绉缎) paired with 8 momme silk chiffon (雪纺)
• Technique: Hand Suzhou embroidery (苏绣)
• Dimensions: 190 × 65 cm
• Finish: Hand-rolled hem
• Colour: Champagne
• Presentation: Red gift box
• Please note: As each piece is embroidered by hand, slight variations in stitching are part of its character.

Care

• Do not machine wash; regular dry cleaning is recommended.
• Do not bleach.
• Do not tumble dry.
• Iron at low temperature, avoiding direct contact with heat above 110°C; avoid steam, which can mark the silk.
• Dry naturally in a cool, shaded place.