Women's jacket with printed Paisley motifs; The Netherlands, late 20th century (TRC 2016.1949).We are currently putting up the next TRC exhibition that is about textiles and clothing during WW2. It opens on the 16th September. But at the same time we are already working on the Paisley (buteh) exhibition, which was planned for the autumn of 2020, but because of the corona crisis was postponed to early 2021.

Part of the reason for actively working on Paisley/buteh motifs is that in October 2020 there will be a four-day online conference about the trade and movement of textiles in various parts of the world. It is being organised by the International Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden, in cooperation with the TRC and the Tracing Patterns Foundation in Berkeley, California.

Men's underwear with Paisley motifs, USA, acquired in 2020 (TRC 2020.3674).The TRC will be giving a 20 minute presentation about the enduring popularity of the Iranian - Indian- European Paisley (buteh) motif. This pattern can now be found in many parts of the world (literally from America to Zanzibar) and unlike many other wide-spread motifs, it is popular with both men and women. It is also one of the few motifs that can be found on garments for babies, children, adults and grannies, as well as on diverse garments such as an Armani tie, a Gothic corset, as well as bandanas for bikers and members of the LGBTIA communities.

The TRC Paisley exhibition has been called a 'Beyond the Shawl' exhibition, as it looks how the motif has influenced Western fashion in the 19th and 20th centuries (and the present 21st century!), and not 'just' Kashmir shawls from the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It will include a wide range of printed textiles, as well as numerous examples of garments and accessories decorated with the Paisley motif (woven, printed and embroidered forms). Literally from head to foot in Paisley!

Gillian Vogelsang, 31st August 2020