Paisley Lampshades

The “boteh” or “buta” motif is often referred to as paisley, however “paisley” is a town name- and has nothing to do with the Indo-Persian origins of this favored pattern. We in the West call the Buta “paisley” because the pattern became wildly popular in Europe in the mid-1800. Copies of Kashmiri shawls were produced in Paisley, Scotland, hence the name.

The Buta is supposed to represent a beautiful Cypress tree bending to the breeze. “Boteh” can be translated as bush or shrub in Persian.

The pattern gained popularity during the Safavid dynasty (15th through 17th centuries), but some scholars trace it to 2000 BCE! As with all great design it remains beloved all over the world to this day!