Guimarães embroidery and the lovers' handkerchief: what they are, how to spot them, how they differ

By Tiago Reis, co-founder of Ra-Ro · View profile

About a 6 minute read

Guimarães embroidery is hand embroidery, usually on linen, using 21 stitches and stylised motifs, with one rare feature: each piece uses a single colour, chosen from red, blue, beige, grey, white and black. It has been certified since 2010. The lovers' handkerchief is another Minho tradition: a handkerchief embroidered by a young woman, with verses and symbols of love and often spelling mistakes, which she gave to the young man she liked. They come from the same region, but one is a technique and the other is an object with a message.

Guimarães embroidery and the lovers' handkerchief in short

• Guimarães embroidery: hand embroidery with 21 stitches, stylised motifs and one colour per piece.
• Possible colours: red, blue, beige, grey, white and black, always used on their own.
• Certification: made official on 22 November 2010; today there are only eight certified artisans.
• Lovers' handkerchief: a linen or cotton handkerchief embroidered with love verses and symbols, typical of Minho, with the Vila Verde area as its reference.
• Main difference: Guimarães embroidery defines a way of embroidering; the lovers' handkerchief defines an object and its use.
• At Ra-Ro: the Guimarães Embroidery Pack (€53.27), with two linen pouches embroidered by certified artisans.

What Guimarães embroidery is

It is a traditional embroidery from the city of Guimarães and its surroundings, bringing together two legacies: the so called rich embroidery of the 19th century and the popular embroidery that decorated Guimarães costumes at the end of that century. To keep the technique alive, training courses were held in 1989 and 1996, passing it on to new hands.

The A Oficina cooperative in Guimarães promoted the certification process, which began in 2004 and was made official on 22 November 2010.

Which stitches and colours it uses

Guimarães embroidery uses 21 stitches, among them satin stitch, stem stitch, chain stitch and several knots, which give the design relief. The motifs are stylised: flowers, leaves, hearts and geometric shapes, drawn with firm outlines and dense fillings.

The colour rule is what sets it apart most. There are six possible colours, red, blue, beige, grey, white and black, but each piece is embroidered in just one. A cloth in red on natural linen, or white on white, is Guimarães embroidery; a cloth mixing red, green and yellow is not.

How to spot genuine Guimarães embroidery

• One colour: all the embroidery on the piece is in one of the six permitted colours.
• Handmade: stitches show small variations in tension and size, unlike machine embroidery, which is perfectly regular.
• Relief: satin stitches and knots rise from the fabric and can be felt with a finger.
• Certification: ask who embroidered the piece. With only eight certified artisans, a serious seller can tell you where the work comes from.

What the lovers' handkerchief is

The lovers' handkerchief (lenço dos namorados), also called the love handkerchief, is a square of linen or cotton that was part of women's traditional dress in Minho. The most representative examples come from the area of today's Vila Verde municipality, near Braga. A young woman embroidered it to declare her feelings and gave it to the young man she liked. If he wore it in public, around his neck or in his jacket pocket, especially at festivals and fairs, the courtship was accepted.

The oldest handkerchiefs were embroidered mainly in red and black, sometimes with green or blue, and only later became multicoloured. Cross stitch was probably the first stitch; stem stitch and chain stitch came later. The designs are symmetrical and full of symbols: hearts, flowers, birds and sometimes religious motifs linked to marriage.

Why lovers' handkerchiefs have spelling mistakes

The verses embroidered on the handkerchiefs often contain spelling mistakes. Originally the mistakes reflected the embroiderers' limited schooling: they wrote words the way they spoke them. Over time they became part of the handkerchief's identity. Today many embroiderers keep the mistakes on purpose, to stay true to the old models, and spelling is one of the points the certification assesses, alongside motifs, threads, size and colours.

In May 2026 the Lenços de Namorados do Minho became protected as a Geographical Indication across the European Union, the first protection of this kind for a Portuguese craft product. The area of origin covers the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto and several municipalities of Vila Real.

Guimarães embroidery and the lovers' handkerchief: the difference

• What they are: Guimarães embroidery is a technique; the lovers' handkerchief is an object with a function.
• Colours: one colour per piece in Guimarães embroidery; several colours in lovers' handkerchiefs, especially recent ones.
• Text: the lovers' handkerchief carries embroidered verses and names; Guimarães embroidery lives on design, not words.
• Use: Guimarães embroidery decorates clothing and household textiles; the lovers' handkerchief was a request for courtship.

Where to buy Guimarães embroidery

At Ra-Ro we have pieces from A Oficina, embroidered by certified artisans in Guimarães. The Lavender Sachet (€32.79) is made of linen and scents drawers and wardrobes. The Almond Sachet (€26.40) uses the same linen and the same technique. Together they make up the Guimarães Embroidery Pack (€53.27), cheaper than buying the pieces separately.

From Guimarães and the same maker comes the Cantarinha dos Namorados (€96.20), the other great object of Minho courtship. We tell its story in Cantarinha dos Namorados and in the glossary.

We do not currently sell lovers' handkerchiefs. If you are looking for one, choose certified handkerchiefs bought from embroiderers or shops in the Vila Verde area. To plan a visit, see our guide Minho, cradle of Portugal: what to see and which crafts to bring home and the Minho region page.

Frequently asked questions

What is Guimarães embroidery?

It is a traditional hand embroidery from Guimarães, usually on linen, with 21 stitches and stylised motifs. Each piece is embroidered in a single colour: red, blue, beige, grey, white or black.

When was Guimarães embroidery certified?

Certification was made official on 22 November 2010, in a process promoted by the A Oficina cooperative that began in 2004.

How many certified Guimarães embroidery artisans are there?

There are only eight certified artisans, which makes every genuine piece a rare piece of work.

What does the lovers' handkerchief mean?

It was a declaration of love: a young woman embroidered the handkerchief and gave it to a young man. If he wore it in public, the courtship was accepted.

Why do lovers' handkerchiefs have spelling mistakes?

Originally because the embroiderers had little schooling and wrote as they spoke. Today the mistakes are often kept on purpose as a mark of the tradition.

What is the difference between Guimarães embroidery and the lovers' handkerchief?

Guimarães embroidery is a single colour technique without text. The lovers' handkerchief is a colourful Minho object with verses and symbols of love.