An
heirloom Kashmir Paisley shawl is one of the first new donations
of 2003. Given by Ellen Simon, the shawl is a rare example
of international influences in 19th-century textiles.
Woven shawls
made in Kashmir, India became such a popular fashion
in the 1800’s that productions centers soon appeared in
Scotland, England, and France.
Detail
of Shawl Pattern
Kashmir Paisley
Shawl
The Scottish weaving
center in Paisley produced some of the earliest imitations
of Kashmir shawls, and the town’s name became associated
with the typical pattern, a stylization of floral ornaments originating
in India.
European tastes in turn influenced the patterns made by artisans
in Kashmir.
Most of the artifacts in New Acquisitions articles are chosen to allow website visitors to explore artifacts that are not on display in the Museum's galleries. Try searching the database or exploring the Virtual Tour to find artifacts on display.
