Loro Piana: a Rare Neutral Tone Striped Lotus Flower Scarf 2020s (includes box and shopping bag)

Loro Piana: a Rare Neutral Tone Striped Lotus Flower Scarf 2020s Light weight beige striped scarf in woven Lotus flower fibre 82 x 200cm includes box and shopping bag Footnotes: According to the accompanying booklet: Loro Piana has discovered an extraordinary textile treasure that grows in the waters of lake Inle in Eastern Myanmar: The fibre of the lotus flower. An ultra-fine botanical raw material that is processed entirely by hand. The Lotus plant (Nelumbo Nucifera) is a very ancient water plant that grows wild on Burmese lakes, Lake Inle in particular, in a setting of rare beauty. The species has a number of extraordinary characteristics: its roots lie in the mud of the lake bed and every evening the flowers close and sink beneath the surface of the murky water only to re-emerge clean and pristine the following morning as the sun rises. It is a sacred flower in Buddhism and Hinduism and a symbol of purity: the commitment to retaining a pure heart in an often-corrupt world. The lotus flower stems are harvested during the rainy season every year, and broken down into filaments which are then spun into yarn by the local Intha women. One days work yields only around 100 grams of yarn. The filaments must be processed within 24 hours to avoid deterioration. To make the yarn, the filaments from three to five stalks are bunched together then rubbed against a surface to twist them. The spinning is also done by hand, using ancient traditional tools. Production is very limited, and this ancient art was at risk of dying out altogether if not supported. With an average diameter ranging from three to five microns, lotus flower is one of the finest textile fibres known to man, much finer than cotton or linen. Due to this, it takes more than 13,000 metres of yarn - from 6,500 stems - to make a single length of fabric for a blazer. It has a very distinctive perforated structure, which forms a spiral and makes it incredibly light and breathable: it can be likened to a botanical microfibre. CONDITION REPORT Condition Grade B+ (labels have been removed) Appears in like new condition, with gentle signs of use. The Condition Report represents Bonhams' reasonable opinion as to the Lot's general condition in the terms stated in the particular report, and Bonhams does not represent or guarantee that a Condition Report includes all aspects of the internal or external condition of the Lot. We advise that if you are bidding on a Lot, that you or your agents are completely satisfied with the condition. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing