By Any Other Name
What can be proudly worn both day and night, keep you toasty and warm even on the coldest nights and hold a place of honor on the walls of your home?
The Persian Pickle, of course. (see previous post)
The paisley, a droplet-shaped vegetable motif of Persian and Indian origin, has oftentimes been called a Persian Pickle by American traditionalists and quilters as far back as 1818.
The design emerged in Persia or Iran as early as 1501. From then on until 1736, the twisted teardrop adorned crowns and court garments.
Still a popular motif today in south and central Asian countries, silk is woven with richly colored threads of gold and silver for weddings garments and dresses for that special occasion.
But paisley is not just for wearing. In Uzbekistan as well as Iran, the pattern enriches paintings, jewelry, frescoes, curtains, tablecloths, quilts, carpets, garden landscaping and pottery.
Imported by the East India Company in the 1600s, the popularity of the design, resembling a large comma, grew to such an extent that the company failed to keep up with the demand.
In the 1700s and 1800s, inhabitants of the European Baltic States made use of the paisley as a protective charm to ward off evil demons.
The pattern acquired its name from the town of Paisley in central Scotland. After soldiers, returning from India, brought back cashmere shawls for their wives, mothers and sweethearts, every woman wanted one of her own.
In the first half of the 19th century, Scottish weavers led all others in producing the five-color, paisley-patterned shawl. Ten years later, in 1860, the number of colors had been increased to 15 – still only one-fourth of the number of the colors on the imported Kashmir shawls.
Later, manufacturers learned how to print the paisley motif onto cotton squares which became the multi-purpose bandanna of today.
In the U. S., the comma-like shape appeared frequently in the style of clothing favored by the ‘hippies’ of the 60s and 70s. The Beatles‘ trip to India in 1968, increased interest in that country’s spirituality, culture and design. In 1967, John Lennon commissioned a custom-painted Rolls Royce with the popular teardrop design.
Guitar makers at Fender stuck paisley-patterned wallpaper on the bodies of their instruments to create the Pink Persian version of the Telecaster. A slightly more modern recording artist, Prince, paid homage to the paisley influence by creating the Paisley Park recording label and establishing the Paisley Park Studios.
Whether you wear it, walk on it, gaze adoringly at it, or sleep under it, the Persian Pickle or paisley design has delighted millions throughout the last 500 years of fashion. At our house, it graces the hall bathroom in the form of a decorative shower curtain. Where can it be found in your home?
