Paisley Wool Shawls
Paisley shawls were a popular fashion accessory for women in western Europe and North America from the latter half of the 18th century until the 1870s. The teardrop boteh or buta motif originated in Persia and India centuries earlier, and early imported Kashmir shawls were a symbol of wealth and status for European and American women. Seeing the success of this product, European manufacturers sought to create their own versions on sophisticated looms. Several European weaving centers mastered the technology to create the complex “pinecone” design, the most famous of which was Paisley in Scotland. Weavers in Paisley used jacquard looms, often considered a predecessor of modern computers, and improved the process to involve five colors instead of two. Paisley became so closely associated with this particular type of shawl, that the boteh motif became known colloquially as “paisley,” a name that persists today.
Dates are approximate, but the shawls are arranged below in chronological order, from the early/mid-1800s through the 1880s.
Lace Shawls
Delicate lace shawls, worn more for modesty than actual warmth, were favored in the summer months throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. These shawls also could be a display of wealth, with the most expensive versions were made from handmade silk lace. Several shawls in the Fashion Archive are made from Chantilly lace, a handmade bobbin lace named after a city in France. Chantilly lace is known for its detailed floral patterns and scalloped edges. Lace shawls could easily be purchased or dyed black to be used as mourning attire, a standard part of mourning etiquette that was prevalent during the 19th century.
Some of these lace shawls have extremely approximate or unknown dates, but most are from the late 1800s or early 1900s. They are arranged chronogically.
Embroidered Silk Shawls
These decorated shawls are arranged chronologically, dating from approximately 1900 to 1930.
More Silk Shawls
While not embroidered, these silks shawls are also gorgeous. Dates are approximate, with the first shawl from the 1870s and the rest from 1920-1940, and the shawls are arranged chronologically.
Assuit Shawls
Assuit, also called tulle-bi-telli, is a textile crafted on a net base with hand-hammered silver or gold-colored metal designs. Some shawls made from this textile are called Coptic shawls due to their association with the Copts, a Christian ethnoreligious group native to Egypt. Coptic shawls often feature Coptic crosses, geometric motifs, and religious iconography. Originally, these shawls were made by a mother for her daughter to wear at her wedding but eventually became a common tourist trade item for Western visitors to Egypt. Coptic shawls experienced a surge of popularity alongside the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in 1922.
These shawls are arranged chronologically, dating from 1920-1930 and 1990-2000.
Other Shawls
These shawls are more unique within the Mount Mary Fashion Archive and date from the early 1800s to 1980. They are arranged chronologically.
