Paisley Pattern: A Unique Ornament Of Country Style

We often see the paisley pattern of country style on hats, boots, and sometimes even on t-shirts. Seeing this paisley pattern reminds every country-style wearer of this unique style. Here are some interesting facts about this paisley pattern of country style that you might not know about.

Origins

There have been many debates about where the paisley style was originated from. Dating back to 1700 BCE, the paisley form was known to be originated in Babylon. Yet, some argue that it was originated from Yazd in Iran. The weaving of the traditional fabric, which is known as termeh, from silk cloth and wool form the paisley pattern. Others would say that the paisley pattern was from Persia at around 200-650 AD where the Sassanians ruled an empire that extended to the Middle, East, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. This fusion of culture has continued to influence Persian identity till this day with paisley ornaments and artifacts found in Afghanistan. The paisley pattern has a symbol that looks similar to a curved teardrop - this was also known as boteh which was the Persian word for clusters of leaves. The symbol looked like a combination of floral elements like flowers and a cypress tree. However, as many hundreds of years go by, the shape was now known as a Buta almond or a bud. This Buta almond was a symbol of fire and it was often seen on beautiful and intricate woven carpets and cloths. Now in the present day, many companies are importing paisley shawls from Kashmir and Persia to their home countries in large quantities. The designs of the paisley shawls are then catered specifically for each region due to their differences in taste. In Europe, the shawls are mainly worn by women. European consumers prefer more complicated and intricate designs on their shawls, and the designs will have more scenes of people riding on elephants across palm trees. In the Middle East, consumers are more inclined to get the most common paisley shawl we see today with curved geometry paisley.

Paisley

Due to the large scale of shawl production in Paisley, Scotland, the pattern was named after it. However, this is not an internationally recognized name for this pattern. In France, they call in Palme, and in the Netherlands, they call it Bota.

Popularity

In the 19th century, the paisley shawl was known to be a must-have accessory as it is a symbol of status a prestige. Many paintings and photographs taken in this era had shown that paisley patterns are widely used. In the paisley pattern, there is an intricate dynamic of shapes coming together with beautiful colors that would appeal to the market. This attracted many buyers from all over the world to get their hands on these beautiful and stunning masterpieces.

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