Southward Flight 135cm Song Brocade Gambiered Canton Gauze Square Shawl

A 135 × 135 cm square shawl woven in 40 momme Song brocade from gambiered Canton gauze silk with every edge finished by hand in wound gold thread. One of the heaviest and most labour-intensive silk shawls in the Herbert Accessory collection. Slight variations of ±3 cm may occur due to the handcrafted nature of each piece.

DESIGN

In classical Chinese landscape painting, the wild goose holds a specific and irreplaceable place. Its southward flight in autumn has marked the turning of the season for a thousand years of poetry and ink painting. The goose appears with distant mountains, red autumn leaves, and the cold clarity of open sky: a composition that carries, simultaneously, the beauty of departure and the certainty of return. Here, formations of geese cross an amber and burnt-sienna ground in a composition drawn from the mountain-and-water tradition of the Song dynasty. The pattern is woven into the cloth itself — the raised brocade motifs shift in the light as the shawl moves, so the flock appears to travel across the fabric.

THE CRAFT

Song brocade is one of China’s four great traditional brocades, originating in the imperial workshops of the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) and recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The weave constructs its patterns through a complex system of weft threads, producing a cloth with a characteristic dense, structured hand and a surface of unusual depth. This shawl is woven from gambiered Canton gauze silk at 40 momme, the heaviest weight available in this fabric. The gambiered treatment involves coating the raw silk in yam-plant sap, burying it in Pearl River mud, and sun-drying it repeatedly over many days. The result is a silk unlike any other: deep in colour, supple in hand, and carrying a character shaped by the river itself. The edges are finished by hand in wound gold thread. A specialist winds pure gold-wrapped thread continuously along every edge of the shawl, building a border of fine metallic lustre. This operation cannot be mechanised; it is done by a single pair of hands, slowly, over the full perimeter of the cloth.

GUIDE

The 135 × 135 cm square drapes generously over both shoulders as a shawl, folds into a broad stole for a formal coat, or wraps at the neck for a more composed look. The gold-thread border frames every arrangement with quiet precision.

• Ivory, cream, and warm white for weddings and formal occasions
• Black and charcoal for evening — the gold border reads sharply against dark ground
• Camel and cognac coats for autumn and winter
• Qipao and ceremonial dress — this is a piece made for those occasions

This shawl is a collector’s piece. The combination of Song brocade, gambiered Canton gauze, 40 momme weight, and hand-wound gold thread edges places it among the most craft-intensive textiles available at this price. The Southward Flight motif also carries, in Chinese tradition, a wish for safe return and reunion — making it a gift of considerable meaning.

CARE

The gold-thread edge requires specialist handling. Entrust this piece exclusively to a dry cleaner with experience in silk and metallic thread textiles. Do not machine wash, bleach, wring, or tumble dry. Avoid prolonged direct sunlight. Store folded in a breathable bag. See our Silk Care Guide for full instructions.

DELIVERY & RETURNS

See our Delivery Policy and Refund Policy.

GIFTING

Each shawl arrives in luxury gift packaging with a coordinating bag and complimentary greeting card. Gift recipients may exchange within the standard return period.