Origins The lacy teardrop pattern known as paisley is Indian in origin, but its name derives from a town in southern Scotland. Paisley was a major site for the manufacture of printed cotton and wool in the 19th Century, according to the Paisley Museum in Scotland. Resembling a large comma, paisley is one of the most recognized patterns in the world. The pattern can be traced back more than 2,000 years. The design was copied from the costly silk and cotton Kashmir shawls brought back by Scottish soldiers serving in India and later shipped by members of the East India Company. The paisley design motif is also known as Cashmere, not to be confused with the woolen textile. [1] A floral motif called buta, which originated in the Safavid Dynasty of Persia, was adapted in India to its familiar shape and spread to Scotland when soldiers returning from the colonies brought home cashmere shawls. From roughly 1800 to 1850, using Jacquard looms, the weavers of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, adapted the design and wove woollen shawls, hence the design is popularly known as the Paisley pattern. Changes in fashion led to the demise of the shawl, bringing hardship to the weavers in Scotland and the originators in Kashmir.