Boteh (paisley)

What does it mean?

Boteh means “bush” or “bunch of leaves” in Persian. In carpets it is a teardrop with its tip bent to one side, usually small and repeated in rows. Its origin is debated: the commonest view is that it comes from a wind-bent cypress; almond, fig, pine cone, the bud of the Egyptian lotus, pear, teardrop, the flame of Zoroastrian fire and the mango have also been proposed. In Azerbaijan the boteh stands for the pure flame that protects against the evil eye and illness; two botehs facing each other mean mutual love, two turned back to back mean separation ^[1].

Same theme

Sources

1. Çiğdem Karaçay, “Boteh Motifinin Kökenine Kısa Bir Bakış ve Anadolu Türk Halı Sanatında Boteh Tasvirleri”, SDÜ ART-E 15(29), 2022