03/06/2026
Divine paisley earrings in 18K gold, precious Gabon ebony and natural pearls.
I have always been fascinated by Paisley. It is thought to have originated in ancient Greece as the mango, the symbol of fertility. In 328 BC Alexander the Great had conquered Northern India. He had to return back when his armies refused to advance any farther. Some of his men stayed and assimilated with the locals. They had brought with them a lot of decorative art elements from Greece. In 327 BC Alexander the Great Conquered Eastern Iran, where he created Macedonian colonies. Overtime, the cultures of Greece and the Orient blended and thrived as a side effect of Alexander’s empire, becoming part of his legacy and spreading the spirit of Panhellenism.
The paisley pattern as we know it now traces its origins back to Persia and the Sassanid empire around 221 AD and later spread eastward into India, particularly Kashmir.
By the 18th century, Kashmiri shawls were among the most coveted luxury goods in Europe.
In the 19th century, the weavers of the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire in Scotland became the primary producers of paisley fabrics. From its ancient Persian an Indian origins with its hidden messages and mysterious symbolism, the iconic motif has had quite a journey. The paisley pattern has traveled the silk road from east to west, adorned the bandannas of cowboys and bikers, been adopted by the 19 century BoHo set, popularized by the Beatles, ushered in the hippie era and became an emblem of rock ‘n’ roll swagger and swank. The Scottish city of Paisley, whose textiles history is intertwined with the famous print, bid to be UK city of culture for 2021. The history of the Paisley is the perfect illustration of how cultures mix and evolves thanks to artists.
