I have been assured that the paisley swirl shape is a stylized pinecone. It may have at some time have been made with the side of a closed fist, since that will create a shape very like your basic paisley, but that's just speculation, as far as I know. The name comes from the fabric mills in Scotland, whixch were emulating the design common in India which is much older.
Mind you I learned all this on this list, some few years ago. I can't actually vouch for the authenticity of the source, but it did seem like the last word at the time. MaggiRos --- Heather Rose Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Sep 2, 2006, at 8:51 PM, Susan B. Farmer wrote: > > > Quoting [EMAIL PROTECTED]: > > > >> > >> In a message dated 9/2/2006 9:08:15 P.M. Eastern > Standard Time, > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > >> > >> When did Paisley begin to be seen in "western > European" textiles? > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Some time in the early 1800s, when European > weavers began making > >> imitation > >> cashmere shawls--among the first to do so were in > Paisley, > >> Scotland, hence the > >> name. One of the factoids I enjoy telling people > when I give > >> talks on early > >> 19th century costume. > > > > Really. I had it in my mind that it came from > India/Persia (or at > > least *somewhere* in that neck of the woods) and > that it was the > > pattern produced by "block printing the side of > the hand ..... > > > > Interesting tidbit nonetheless. Wonder where I > got my erroneous > > info from? > > The location is roughly accurate but I've never run > across the "hand" > explanation before. The motif has a fascinating > evolution starting > out as a stylized "vase and bouquet" motif. > Eventually the vase part > became vestigial and the bouquet developed that > little "droop" at the > top point and it turned into the familiar current > shape. It was only > the last evolutionary stage that became popularized > in Europe. > > > Heather > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
