Paisley Pattern - ​

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The paisley pattern we know today was originally called "Butha." It was invented in Iran as an image of the cypress,which was a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity. It then moved on to northern India and began to be produced on Kashmiri shawls and gained popularity in that region. In the 17th century AD, it was introduced to Europe through the Silk Road and began to gain momentum there as well. It was not until the 18th century that the paisley pattern came to the town of Paisley, Scotland where the paisley industry became the dominant producer of the pattern, hence where it became known as the Paisley.

 

The Paisley became a status symbol that was exclusively utilized by monarchs and then with aristocrats, however, it eventually entered into pop culture and from there has been used by the public ever since. 

The paisley has adorned the cowboy and biker bandanas, adopted by the bohemian style of the 19th century, and gained immense popularity among hippies and rock and roll music in the 70’s, almost never going out of fashion.

 

What enables Paisley to gain eternal life and have such a great impact on Western culture is its ability to adapt and assimilate into any culture in which it is represented. Its ability to evolve and regenerate, to be versatile and changing, and, like snowflakes, each is unique in its own, no form of the paisley pattern is like that of its predecessor. It appears in different sizes, colors, and complexities which have been influenced and reflected in each of the places in which it has reached.