The embroidery on this Chinese shawl is unique in its imagery and level of animation, especially in the realistic depiction of birds and their actions (eating insects, for example). Other atypical details include fruit (pineapples and grapes) and fanciful insects and plant pods. Most of the embroidery is executed in a standard satin stitch but the tails of the grey birds are done in a fine herringbone stitch that imitates the texture of feathers. The fretwork along the border is an unusual touch for shawls made for the Western market.
