Paisley (design)

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Paisley or Paisley pattern is a droplet-shaped vegetal motif of Persian origin, similar to half of the Yin yang symbol, the Indian bodhi tree leaf, the mango tree, or even paramecia (if viewed under a microscope). The pattern is sometimes called "Persian pickles" by American traditionalists, especially quiltmakers.

1 Origins
2 Modern popularity
3 Style
4 References

[edit] Origins

The lacy teardrop pattern known as paisley is Persian (Iranian) in origin, but its western name derives from a town in central Scotland. A floral motif called buta, which originated in the Safavid Dynasty of Persia (from 1501 to 1736), was a major textile pattern in Iran also during the Qajar Dynasty. In these periods, the pattern was used to decorate royal regalia, crowns, and court garments, as well as textiles used by the general population. The pattern is still widely popular in Iran; it is woven using gold or silver threads on silk or other high quality textiles for gifts, for weddings and special occasions. In Iran its use goes beyond clothing - paintings, jewelry, frescos, curtains, tableclothes, quilts, carpets, garden landscaping, and pottery also sport this buta design.

The pattern was adapted in India to its familiar shape and spread to Scotland when soldiers returning from the colonies brought home cashmere wool shawls. From roughly 1800 to 1850, using Jacquard looms, the weavers of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, adapted the design to weave woollen shawls, hence the design became known as the Paisley pattern.

Paisley was a major site for the manufacture of printed cotton and wool in the 19th Century, according to the Paisley Museum in Scotland. The design was copied from the costly silk and cotton Kashmir shawls brought back by Scottish soldiers serving in India and later shipped by members of the East India Company. Changes in fashion led to the demise of the shawl, bringing hardship to the weavers in Scotland and the originators in Kashmir.

The paisley design motif is also known as cashmere, not to be confused with the woolen textile. <ref>Hindu Culture - textiles</ref> Resembling a large comma, or kidney shape, paisley is one of the most recognized patterns in the world.

[edit] Modern popularity

The shape has been widely adopted since its early use. 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 life and eternity. It has been suggested that paisley is also a representation of fractals.

Paisley was particularly popular during the Summer of Love. John Lennon had a Rolls Royce painted with the design in 1967. Also, Fender Guitars made a Pink Paisley version of their Telecaster guitar, by sticking paisley wallpaper onto the guitar bodies.

Paisley became popular again in the late 1980s/early 1990s particularly with African-American gangs, the Bloods and the Crips, when, respectively, red or blue paisley bandanas were worn as a signifier of gang affiliation. Thus in modern times, paisley bandanas are often (but not always) used as a signifier of gangland affiliation, particularly in contemporary rap videos by the likes of Snoop Dogg and The Game (rapper).

[edit] Style

Authors Hal Rubenstein and Jim Mullen published a book in 1995 entitled Paisley Goes With Nothing: A Man's Guide to Style.

Paisley design had a renaissance in 2000/2001 and most recently 2004 and early 2005, when men's designers such as Robert Talbott began using the pattern again in ties.

Paisley is a popular motif in Vera Bradley bags.

Bill Lumbergh, the incompetent boss in the motion picture Office Space, showed a particular affinity for Paisley.