From Boteh To Bandanas: Tracing The World-Spanning Legacy Of Paisley

If you had asked the textile merchants of 19th-century Wales, they’d have called it Welsh Pears. At Paris’s Café de Flore, you might have heard it referred to as Palme. In the highlands of Kashmir, it’s long been known as Bootar. I’m talking, of course, about the pattern we now commonly know as Paisley—originally named Boteh. No matter the name, its beauty transcends borders. 

The variety of names given to Paisley speaks to its global appeal and enduring influence. But it's not just the name that sparks debate—the symbol itself has inspired many interpretations. Some trace its origins to a Zoroastrian emblem representing life and fertility; others link it to the Chaldean date palm, believed to signify the Tree of Life. Some see it as a variation of the yin-yang, while in parts of South Asia, it's often likened to a mango, affectionately called Kairi.

Tracing Paisley's History: From Kashmir Valleys to Scottish Highlands

Its origins are believed to be around 2,000 years old and are located far from the town it’s named after, modern-day Iran. Its oldest and most famous attribute is its presence on the Kashmiri shawls of the 16th century, made from fine goat hair and hand-woven by skilled Kashmiri craftsmen. 

The Mughal Empire played a pivotal role in popularising the Paisley motif, acting as generous patrons of the art form. By supporting skilled artisans and encouraging the production of these intricate textiles, the Mughals helped the pattern spread across the Indian subcontinent. Paisley-adorned shawls, in particular, became coveted symbols of luxury. In Persia, they were commonly exchanged among royalty and dignitaries. Kings often gifted these exquisite shawls to subordinates, not just as tokens of appreciation, but also as a means to assert authority and reward loyalty or exceptional service.

Paisley made its way to the Western world when Kashmiri princes began gifting intricately woven shawls to European royalty. One of its earliest and most iconic admirers was Empress Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and a fashion icon of the early 19th century, once dubbed by a Vogue writer as “the ruler of European fashion.” The story goes that Napoleon, returning from his Eastern campaigns, brought her a Paisley shawl as a gift. This gesture helped cement the pattern’s image in Europe not only as a luxury item but also as a romantic symbol of a husband’s adoration.

However, the broader and arguably more significant reason for Paisley’s rise in the West was the role of the East India Company. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the company imported large quantities of these shawls into Britain. Additionally, British officers stationed in India often brought them back as gifts or personal purchases, captivating their wives and other women, who found the elegant drape and exotic motif both fashionable and flattering.

Art Movements and Aesthetic Reverence

Its admirers were not just limited to members of royalty. Writer Oscar Wilde often donned suits and ties that were decorated with bold print. By the late 19th century, Paisley had found acceptance among major art movements such as the Pre-Raphaelites and the Art Nouveau movement. Artists like William Holman Hunt even featured the motif in their works, most notably in his painting The Awakening Conscience, highlighting its integration into the visual culture of the time.

As their popularity increased due to their import via the silk routes due to the East India Company, the shawl began to be imitated by handlooms and then mechanical looms- namely the Jacquard loom, which made the process efficient, in Europe. Paisley, Scotland, became the hotspot of production with over 7,000 employed weavers by the year 1850; and thus, the pattern gained the name of the town.

The high demand soon led to the mass production of these shawls and related accessories, causing the once exclusive pattern recognised for its premium handiwork to be reduced to a cheaper version of itself.

Its popularity soon began to dip as bustles were introduced and the shawls no longer served as convenient accessories. However, in the 1960s, as the West once again began to look to the East for inspiration that would serve as a cohesive fit to their kaleidoscopic aesthetic, Paisley found itself returning to its previous reputation as a wardrobe staple.

Its biggest fanatics were the Beatles, out of whom John Lennon even adorned his Rolls-Royce with the print. Paisley still holds a significant place in the world of rock and roll with its presence firmly printed on bandanas and guitar straps at music festivals, while artist Liam Gallagher of Oasis even has a clothing brand, ‘Pretty Green’ that almost holds a central focus on paisley patterns.

Paisley Today

In contemporary times, Paisley can still be spotted in couture collections. Established designers like Ritu Kumar and Tarun Tahiliani often show Paisley as a repeating feature, with Ritu Kumar even showing a collection in 2012 with Paisley as the dominant print. 

However, while we should recognise the vast impact Paisley has had on the world, we must look at it from another perspective. How many of us have it in our living rooms, in our closets and possibly even as party decorations, but did not know a majority of the information in this article? It is a bit saddening to reflect on, especially since Paisley represented craftsmanship of the highest order. It represents the story of hundreds, possibly thousands of artisan families who viewed their work as art, yet its name doesn’t honour them, but honours the town that mass-produced and reduced it to a former version.

Views expressed by the author are their own.