Shawl. Culture: French. Date: 1840-49.This is a nice example of a sophisticated design on a shawl other than the boteh pattern of the more popular Indian, Persian and Paisley shawls that flooded the market throughout the 19th century. The Asian-inspired lotus petal shapes and their flower-fillings hearken back to designs on the cashmere shawl but retain their own sensibility within the confines of an open basketweave pattern. The shawl held a place as a high fashion accessory for a relatively large period between the end of the 18th century to the 1870s. These accessories were originally adopted by men with exposure to India and Persia through the Trading Companies. The changing fashions near the end of the 18th century brought a renewed interest in Indian and Persian shawls as a form of warmth over the thin muslins of fashionable Empire silhouette dresses. The shawls came in many designs which generally incorporated the boteh form. This form, which is mostly known as the paisley now