The story behind the print
Jaal — the lattice print
- Origin:
- Mughal-era decorative arts
- Since:
- 16th–17th century
A net of interlocking shapes, borrowed from the carved stone screens of Mughal architecture and woven into Indian textiles ever since.
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Buti & floral prints
- Origin:
- Sanganer, Rajasthan (inspiration)
- Since:
- 18th century
Small, scattered flowers — butis — are the signature of the delicate floral prints that made Sanganer near Jaipur famous.
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Paisley (buta)
- Origin:
- Persia and Kashmir
- Since:
- Kashmir shawls from the 17th century
The curved teardrop motif that travelled from Persia to the shawls of Kashmir, and then to the whole world.
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Tree of life
- Origin:
- India's painted and printed cottons
- Since:
- Exported to Europe from the late 17th century
A flowering tree full of birds and blossoms, the design that made Indian painted cottons famous around the world.
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Jacobean florals
- Origin:
- England, inspired by Indian chintz
- Since:
- 17th century
Big, curling flowers and leaves on winding stems, an English classic that grew out of Indian chintz.
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Damask and ogee
- Origin:
- Damascus, Italy and the Mughal courts
- Since:
- Medieval silks
Rich, mirrored florals and onion-shaped frames, the patterns of palace silks, now on everyday bedsheets.
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