The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 28, 2024

Shawl with boteh

Shawl with boteh

1820–1830
Location: not on view

Description

Thousands of luxurious shawls imported from Kashmir, India, were status symbols that European-manufactured imitations could not equal. Those woven in Paisley, Scotland, gave rise to the popular term paisley. Their representation in portraits records the evolution of shawl fashions, which helps to date surviving examples. The coveted quality of Kashmir shawls was achieved with luxurious fine goat hair woven in twill tapestry to form small colorful blossoms. Such shawls are lightweight, supple, and warm. A plethora of blossoms arranged in small vases on stands form the large paisley or boteh motifs, while smaller versions enliven the sides of the field. Such floral displays evolved from blossoming plants possibly in 16th-century India.
  • Mackie, Louise W. Symbols of Power: Luxury Textiles from Islamic Lands, 7th-21st Century. Cleveland; New Haven: Cleveland Museum of Art; Yale University Press, 2015. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 440, fig. 10.30
  • Floral Delight: Textiles from Islamic Lands. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 9, 2014-May 4, 2015).
    Object in Focus: Countess Széchenyi and Her Prestigious Kashmir Shawl. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 25, 2003-January 4, 2004).
  • {{cite web|title=Shawl with boteh|url=false|author=|year=1820–1830|access-date=28 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1952.190