Shawl. Culture: Scottish. Date: 1865-75.This is a very nice example of the best of the shawls that were woven in Paisley, Scotland. It shows how the cone shape of the original Indian and Persian shawls metamorphosed into elegant European arabesque forms. Although this is a very European design it still maintained the harlequin fringe gates of the original style.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, is an ancient Persian design based upon the tree of life and ins