This limited-edition silk scarf reproduces the intricate decoration of a late seventeenth-century portable writing desk from Pasto, Colombia, emblazoned with the coat of arms of Gabriel Bernardo de Quiróz, I Marquis of Monreal, and secretary to Carlos II of Spain. The writing chest was commissioned by his brother, Cristóbal Bernardo de Quirós, bishop of Papáyan, whose bishopric included Pasto. Indigenous artisans of southwestern Colombia have been using resin from the mopa mopa tree-native to the tropical rain forests of southwestern Colombia-to decorate objects for over a thousand years. During the viceregal period, this technique was used to decorate a wide variety of objects. The designs on early seventeenth-century pieces incorporate floral and hunting motifs with realistic and mythological figures, drawn primarily from European sources. Pieces from the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries combine motifs from European, Andean, and Asian sources, such as the squirrel-and-grapevine motif common to Chinese and Japanese decorative paintings and lacquers; peonies and carnations from Chinese porcelains and textiles; indigenous flora and fauna; and images from European heraldry, mythology, and still-life paintings.

• Inspired by: Portable Writing Desk. Pasto, Colombia, ca. 1684. Wood, barniz de Pasto (mopa mopa lacquer), and metal fittings.
• 100% silk
• Imported
• 64 x 14.5 in.