The Art of Styling: Ways to Wear Your Met-Inspired Scarf

Art Scarves and Shawls Inspired by The Met Collection

The Met Store’s scarves, shawls, and wraps boast patterns and motifs from the Museum’s holdings, but you can lend a personal touch in the way you style your accessory. Tie, twist, loop, and drape—our versatile scarves transform any outfit into a work of art. Below, shop a selection of new and beloved Met Store scarves, each made to be worn in your own unique way.

Concourse of the Birds Oblong Scarf

Ideal for dramatic draping or a take on a timeless Italian twist, the Concourse of the Birds Oblong Scarf—fabricated in a light but luxurious cashmere blend—can define your look by adding a pop of color and texture, or elevate your outerwear on a chilly day. 

The Met Store Art ScarvesThe Met Store Art Scarves
The Concourse of the Birds Oblong Scarf

 

The lively motif featured on both sides of the scarf references an illustrated manuscript (ca. 1600) of Farid al-Din Attar’s mystical poem Language of the Birds in The Met’s Islamic Art collection. The text comprises a series of parables narrated by a hoopoe—a strikingly patterned species of crested bird—who leads a flock representing individual souls on a journey to find the mythic simurgh, a benevolent winged creature symbolizing spiritual unity. 

"The Concourse of the Birds", Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds). Painting by Habiballah of Sava (Iranian, active ca. 1590–1610). Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper; ca. 1600. Fletcher Fund, 1963 63.210.11

 

Specifically, this artful accessory reimagines the illustration decorating "The Concourse of the Birds," a charming folio added to the manuscript in the early 17th century. Signed by Habiballah of Sava (Iranian, active ca. 1590–1610), the painting depicts the hoopoe addressing his avian companions before they depart on their quest.

 

Edo Blossoms and Butterflies Embroidered Shawl

The roomy, wool-silk Edo Blossoms and Butterflies Embroidered Shawl lends itself to all manners of draping. Simply toss one end over your shoulder for a simple, effortless look.  

The Met Store Art ScarvesThe Met Store Art Scarves
The Edo Blossoms and Butterflies Embroidered Shawl

 

But be sure to show off the shawl’s eye-catching embroidery, which reimagines an exquisite Edo-period (1615–1868) outer robe known as an uchikake, typically reserved for formal occasions or stage performances. 

Outer Robe (Uchikake) with Peonies, Plum Blossoms, and Butterflies. Japan. Silk damask embroidered with silk and metallic thread; late 18th–early 19th century. Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2008 2008.11

 

Pillowy peonies and plum blossoms create an exuberant motif, with delicate butterflies fluttering between the blooms. These auspicious symbols of springtime, joy, longevity, and marital happiness are well suited to the original late 18th–early 19th-century robe's enduring use in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. Our shawl is complete with self-fringe edges and lurex butterflies for a little shimmer.

A detail of the Edo Blossoms and Butterflies Embroidered Shawl

 

Van Gogh Stylized Nature Double-Sided Square Silk Scarf

There are multiple ways to style a classic square silk scarf, so mix it up or choose a signature look. The Van Gogh Stylized Nature Double-Sided Square Silk Scarf features details from two artworks originally by Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) for added versatility—plus, the complementary color schemes of the images lend themselves to all seasons.

The Met Store Art ScarvesThe Met Store Art Scarves
The Van Gogh Stylized Nature Double-Sided Square Silk Scarf

 

Van Gogh was enchanted by nature, which he avidly observed en plein air and indoors. This luxurious silk-twill scarf celebrates the artist's profound fascination. His cheery Olive Trees (1889) is one of five pictures of olive orchards that Van Gogh made in November 1889. "What I've done is a rather harsh and coarse realism beside their abstractions," he described, "but it will nevertheless impart a rustic note, and will smell of the soil."

Olive Trees. Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas, 28 5/8 x 36 1/4 in., 1889. The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1998, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002 1998.325.1

 

On the reverse side of the scarf is a detail from Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase (1890). 

The Van Gogh Stylized Nature Double-Sided Square Silk Scarf

 

Though it shares stylistic similarities with some of his earlier compositions, its moody palette and graphic brushwork link it firmly with the landscapes he made just before his death in July 1890. 

Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase. Vincent van Gogh. Oil on canvas, 25 5/8 x 21 1/4 in., 1890. The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1993, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002 1993.400.4

 

Momoyama Cranes and Flowers Oversize Silk Shawl

This oversize silk shawl is designed to be styled in various ways. Opt for a reverse drape so that both ends of the scarf cascade down the back, or simply wrap it around your shoulders to show off the elegant composition of auspicious cranes among flowers. 

Art Scarves The Met StoreArt Scarves The Met Store
The Momoyama Cranes and Flowers Oversize Silk Shawl

 

The design comes from a pair of Japanese folding screens, which present the image in a seasonal progression from spring to winter as a suggestion of longevity. The original screens, now in The Met’s Asian Art collection, were made in late 16th-century Japan during the Momoyama period (1573–1615), when exaggerated, high-relief details were popular. Vivid colors and strong ink outlines against a golden background are characteristic of Kano Motonobu (Japanese, 1476–1559), founder of the famous Kano school of painting, while the boldness is evocative of his grandson Kano Eitoku (Japanese, 1543–1590).

Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons. Japan. Six-panel folding screens; ink, color, gold, and gold leaf on paper; late 16th century. Purchase, Mrs. Jackson Burke and Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Gifts, 1987 1987.342.1, .2

 

Four Seasons Paisley Square Wool Scarf

In the early 19th century, luxurious shawls from Kashmir became indispensable fashion accessories for the stylish European woman. The patterns on these costly, hand-woven shawls generally incorporated the boteh form, an ancient Persian motif based on the tree of life. Paisley, which is derived from the boteh design, gets its name from the Scottish town that produced many of these shawls until they fell out of favor in the 1870s.

Four Seasons shawl. French or Scottish. Wool and silk, mid-19th century. Gift of Mrs. Edwin E. Butler, in memory of her father Dudley B. Fuller, 1926 26.179

 

A mid-19th-century French or Scottish example (shown above) in The Met collection, presenting a "four seasons" layout swirling around a central point, informs our stylish wool interpretation with self-fringe edges. 

The Met Store Art ScarvesThe Met Store Art Scarves
The Four Seasons Paisley Square Wool Scarf

 

The shape of this scarf is perfect for a casual wrap around one shoulder (shown above), or the sophisticated Triangle Knot style (shown below), which showcases the rich colors and patterns of the accessory in a thoughtful—but seemingly effortless—fashion.

The Four Seasons Paisley Square Wool Scarf

 

Victorian Foliate Jacquard Shawl

The lush foliate pattern adorning the border of this glamorous shawl evokes Chandos (ca. 1873), an elaborate textile design by Owen Jones (British, 1809–1874).

The Victorian Foliate Jacquard Shawl

 

Though Jones was a trained architect, his best-known legacy is perhaps The Grammar of Ornament, a book of design principles and international decorative motifs, published in 1856. An inspirational guide for designers, Jones’s book maintained significant influence throughout the second half of the 19th century. 

Chandos (detail). Designed by Owen Jones. Woven wool, silk and cotton; ca. 1873. Rogers Fund, 2003 2003.267

 

Our shawl features a special fil coupé, or “cut threads,” jacquard technique by which the binding threads on the back of the fabric are cut off to make the finished product lighter. The neutral color palette goes with any look, while a lurex-blend base adds a subtle, elevated shimmer, perfect for dressier occasions. 

A detail of the Victorian Foliate Jacquard Shawl

 

British Flowering Vines Embroidered Scarf

The kaleidoscopic British Flowering Vines Embroidered Scarf pays tribute to a spectacular British coif—a type of snugly fitting cap—in The Met's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection. 

The British Flowering Vines Embroidered Oblong Scarf

 

Patterns of birds, insects, and flowers enveloped by scrolling vines, or rinceaux, were immensely popular during the late 16th and early 17th centuries; by the 1580s, portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers were depicting the sitters wearing richly embroidered sleeves decorated with an early monochrome version of this pattern, which may derive from similar motifs found in Islamic Spain. Crafted in the early 17th century, the Museum's colorful linen adornment is embellished with metal thread and sparkling sequins.

Coif. British. Linen embroidered with silk and silver-gilt wrapped thread and spangles, early 17th century. Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964 64.101.1258

 

This eye-catching scarf speaks for itself—a classic loop or drape is enough to enhance any outfit. 

The British Flowering Vines Embroidered Oblong Scarf

Unique Gifts for Her

Shop our complete collection of scarves and wraps inspired by the Museum's holdings in-store and online.