Medieval Owl Silk Tie

DESIGNER'S NOTES

An intriguing Fox & Chave silk tie with a repeat of elements from a medieval text which includes a depiction of a Barn Owl, (Tyto alba), originally gilded with gold leaf.

A barn owl depicted in an illuminated manuscript, especially adorned in this way, could represent several layers of meaning. The gold might be to emphasise the owl's connection to the spiritual realm, whether good or evil, or to highlight its rarity and liminality as a creature of the night.

Owls carried connotations of wisdom, though this was more commonly associated with other owl species.

In medieval England, the barn owl was often associated with negative symbolism, linked to darkness, death, and evil. Its nocturnal habits and eerie calls contributed to this perception. It was sometimes seen as a harbinger of doom, with its presence near a sick person believed to foretell death.

COLOURS

STYLING

A Fox & Chave silk tie looks best tied in a classic Windsor or half-Windsor knot and worn with a collar style of your choosing. Cutaway or spread collars offer the greatest opportunity to display the detail of your unique silk tie design.