The Kashmir shawl industry, which began in about the eleventh century, evolved to use stylized botanical motifs as the primary designs in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Their beauty and warmth made them desirable gifts in the late-eighteenth century for travelers, explorers, military personnel, and members of the East India Company to bring back to Europe. Because of their wide appeal, manufacturers in Europe and Great Britain quickly began to produce them. Today these elegant patterns are commonly called, Paisley, a name that derives from Paisley, Scotland, where the shawls were produced for the longest period and the most economically.

Our lovely Paisley shawl was inspired by a nineteenth- century original in the collection of Old Salem Museums & Gardens. It is 100% wool and measures 29" wide x 82" long.
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