Paisley is a droplet-shaped vegetal
motif, similar to half of the T'ai Chi symbol,
the Indian bodhi tree leaf, or the mango
tree. The design originated in
India and
spread to Scotland when British soldiers
brought home
cashmere
shawls. From roughly 1800 to 1850, using
Jacquard looms,
the women of the town of Paisley, Scotland
adapted the design and wove woolen shawls,
hence the design is popularly known as the
Paisley pattern. Changes in fashion
led to the demise of the shawl bringing
hardship to the
weavers in Scotland and the originators
in Kashmir.The shape has been widely adopted since then. Although the influence is not clear, the Turkish tughra calligraphic seal strongly resembles the paisley shape. Some design scholars call the distinct shape boteh and believe it is the convergence of a stylized floral spray and a cypress tree -- a Zoroastrian symbol of death and eternity.
Paisley is a lovely print pattern.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/paisley_(design). 11/02/04 |
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Below is an image of Paisley fabric |