BEADWORK, BAG

An elegant evening beaded bag purchased at Taj Mahal Hotel in India in 1965 by donor who was living in India at the time. Cream silk fabric randomly beaded with paisley motifs and scattered tiny white opaque glass seed beads. Silk lining with two pockets. Gilt metal frame with metal clasp and gilt chain handle.

India has a long tradition of beadwork, not only jewellery, but also beaded accessories, ornaments and on garments.

‘Paisley’ refers to a design of a curved teardrop shape, thought to have originated in ancient Persia (modern day Iran) where it was known as a boteh or buta, translates to "shrub," "bush” and used extensively in Indian textiles.

The paisley patterns became popular in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries, following imports of versions of the design from India, especially Kashmir shawls, which were then replicated locally. The English name ‘PAISLEY” from the town of Paisley, Scotland, a centre for textiles where paisley designs were reproduced using jacquard looms

Bead art in India is said to be 5000 years old. People during that age made beads out of silver, gold, clay, ivory and wood. Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are famous for bead work, designs inspired by nature, used in jewellery, accessories, garments and exported worldwide. Traditionally the tribes used beads as money, talismans and for decoration. Colourful accessories were worn to signify leadership and hierarchy, many worn around their necks for easy transport. The craft passed through generations from mothers to daughters.

Various sources suggest the origin of the Paisley motif . It was called the 'teardrop of Allah' or the 'tadpole' but was probably based on the Chaldean date palm symbolising the Tree of Life. OR based on the shape of a mango, a fruit in India. In some Indian languages, the name of the pattern is called ‘mango’. It might also be an adaptation of the yin-yang symbol used in ancient Chinese medicine and philosophy.

In India, the ‘paisley’ signified the time of harvest, a time of socio-economic and spiritual significance. It is an art form representing the totality of life within a drop - fertility, creation, abundance.