Paisley print

The iconic paisley pattern has been a popular motif in the textile industry and fashion for centuries.

The paisley pattern is a textile design print that uses boteh (Persian origin) or buta, a teardrop-shaped motif with a curved upper end. The pattern became popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries, following imports of post–Mughal Empire versions of the design from India, especially in the form of Kashmir or Cashmere shawls. The English name Paisley for the buta motif comes from the factories in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland that imitated this pattern and started using them locally. Among the quilt-makers, Paisley pattern is also known as 'Persian pickles ' in the United States or 'Welsh pears ' in the Welsh textile industry. It is also called as 'Kairi ' or 'Mangaa ' by the Indian weavers.

The original Persian boteh symbol is thought to represent a floral spray combined with a cypress tree, which symbolises life and eternity in Zoroaster. The seed-like shape is thought to have connections with Hinduism where it depicts fertility, and is also looked at as one resembling the famous yin-yang symbol. It is still a hugely popular motif in Iran and South and Central Asian countries and is woven using silver and gold threads on to silks and fine wools for weddings and other celebrations.