{"id":11289,"date":"2023-08-10T15:16:36","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T18:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/orientacoes-para-com\/after-all-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-term-boteh\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T14:32:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T17:32:40","slug":"after-all-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-term-boteh","status":"publish","type":"orientacoes-para-com","link":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/rug-education\/after-all-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-term-boteh\/","title":{"rendered":"After all, what is the meaning of the term boteh?"},"content":{"rendered":"<style id=\"fig-font\">.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h2,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h3,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h4,.entry-content h2,.entry-content h3,.entry-content h4{font-family:\"Cormorant Garamond\",Georgia,serif!important;font-weight:600!important}.elementor-widget-theme-post-content p,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content li,.entry-content p,.entry-content li{font-family:\"Jost\",sans-serif!important;font-weight:300!important}<\/style>\n<style id=\"fg-lux\">@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Cormorant+Garamond:ital,wght@0,400;0,500;0,600;0,700;1,500;1,600&family=Jost:wght@300;400;500&display=swap');\nbody{background:#f4f1eb !important;}\n.elementor-section.elementor-top-section.elementor-element-7a6e902{background-color:#f4f1eb !important;background-image:none !important;box-shadow:none !important;border-bottom-width:0 !important;}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content{font-family:'Jost',-apple-system,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif !important;font-weight:300 !important;color:#3b2d1f !important;}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content p,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content li{font-family:'Jost',sans-serif !important;font-weight:300 !important;color:#3b2d1f !important;line-height:1.82 !important;font-size:16.5px !important;}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h1,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h2,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h3,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content h4,.elementor-widget-theme-post-content .fg-sub{font-family:'Cormorant Garamond',Georgia,serif !important;color:#1c140d !important;font-weight:600 !important;letter-spacing:.005em !important;}\n.elementor-widget-theme-post-content .fg-sub{font-size:28px !important;line-height:1.18 !important;margin:1.7em 0 .5em !important;}\nh1.elementor-heading-title{font-family:'Cormorant Garamond',Georgia,serif !important;font-weight:600 !important;color:#1c140d !important;letter-spacing:.01em !important;}.elementor-widget-theme-post-content>.elementor-widget-container{max-width:1350px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}<\/style>\n<p>Figalli Oriental Rugs consistently highlights the <em>boteh<\/em> design when it\u2019s woven into any carpet in our collection. But what does this design signify? What\u2019s its history? Why it enjoys global popularity? You\u2019ll discover that the history of <em>boteh<\/em> is far more complex than its simple form implies.<\/p>\n<p>Figalli Oriental Rugs consistently highlights the <em>boteh<\/em> design when it\u2019s woven into any carpet in our collection. But what does this design signify? What\u2019s its history? Why it enjoys global popularity? You\u2019ll discover that the history of <em>boteh<\/em> is far more complex than its simple form implies.<\/p>\n<p><em>Boteh<\/em>, a design that has evolved in various forms, has spread worldwide and continues to enrich the Persian and Indian artistic repertoire. From the simplest and minimalist form \u2013 a leaf-shaped design \u2013 to the most stylised and intricate, featuring various curvilinear <em>botehs<\/em> and different geometric shapes, this design has been reinterpreted for at least a millennium.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/bb7458-1024x404.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><figcaption class=\"fig-cap\" style=\"display:block;font-family:&quot;Cormorant Garamond&quot;,Georgia,serif;font-style:italic;font-size:15px;line-height:1.45;color:#8a7c6a;text-align:center;margin-top:.7em;letter-spacing:.02em;\"><a href=\"\/en\/rug-guide\/malayer\/\">Malayer<\/a>, 1900<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Traditionally, the <em>boteh<\/em> design resembles a curved teardrop, guiding the eye up and down, fostering a sense of balance. While there\u2019s no standard format, the design elements remain the same, occasionally with an elongated and curved top, often housing an ornate design in the centre.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/18.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin-top:-30px\"><em>Silk with Sassanid royal emblem depicting the wings of Homa or Senmurv, VI \u2013 VII centuries, Victoria &amp; Albert Museum, London<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Although the term boteh or buteh translates in Farsi to a flower bud, leaf branches, or bush, the category carries deeper meanings. The boteh figure is often interpreted as a \u201cseed,\u201d suggesting the whole always exists within the part. The prevalent concept is that boteh symbolises new life sprouting from a tiny seed, referring to notions of fertility, renewal, and regeneration. However, its nature, identity, meaning, and place of origin remain subjects of debate among art scholars.<\/p>\n<p>Other historians believe that in the arts produced during the final years of the Sassanids and the initial centuries of Islam, there was a symbiotic relationship between the cypress and the <em>boteh<\/em> forms, suggesting that this ancient design emerged from the cypress. According to a Zoroastrian tradition recorded by the poet Daq\u012bq\u012b, Zoroaster himself brought a cutting of a \u201cnoble cypress\u201d (<em>sarv-e \u0101z\u0101da<\/em>). It was a gift to King Kayanid Go\u0161t\u0101sp, who planted it as a memorial of his conversion to Zoroastrianism near the first fire temple (\u0100\u1e0far-e Mehr Borz\u012bn) in Khorasan. Thus, the <em>boteh<\/em> design is believed to represent a floral combined with cypress, a Zoroastrian symbol of life and eternity.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Persepolis050.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><figcaption class=\"fig-cap\" style=\"display:block;font-family:&quot;Cormorant Garamond&quot;,Georgia,serif;font-style:italic;font-size:15px;line-height:1.45;color:#8a7c6a;text-align:center;margin-top:.7em;letter-spacing:.02em;\">Relief at Persepolis Palace depicting a soldier from the Immortal Guard and the cypress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Numerous instances of the <em>boteh<\/em> design are found in both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic Iranian arts. However, no evidence links the <em>boteh<\/em> with Zoroastrianism. The earliest manifestations of this ancient design, primarily portrayed as the wings of the mythological figure Homa or Senmurv, were found in the arts of the Scythians and the Achaemenids, enduring until the Sassanid period. It\u2019s confirmed that after Islam\u2019s arrival in Persia, the <em>boteh<\/em> design permeated almost all Persian arts, appearing in ceramics, stucco, terracotta, metal, glass, textiles, and carpets. The <em>boteh<\/em> is visible in one of the oldest mosques, the Noh Gumbad Mosque (Masjid-i Haji Piyadah), built in the first half of the 9<sup>th<\/sup> century near Balkh (ancient Bactria) in Afghanistan. Despite time\u2019s wear, much of the mosque\u2019s rich arabesque decoration, made with clay bricks and covered with plaster, remains preserved. The columns\u2019 surfaces feature arabesque carvings, and the floral medallions depict the boteh design.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>boteh<\/em> underwent a status transformation in its long history and began to be used as a royal emblem (Farsi term: <em>jegheh<\/em>) during the mid-16<sup>th<\/sup> century Persian rule of the Safavid Dynasty. No longer an ornamental representation of the eternal cypress or related to immortality and timelessness, the <em>boteh jegheh<\/em> became a symbol of sovereignty and absolute power. Consequently, many Safavid paintings and fabrics feature the <em>boteh jegheh<\/em> as a distinctive mark of royalty on the crowns of kings and princes.<\/p>\n<p>Once the <em>boteh jegheh<\/em> design became exclusive to the monarchy, its use beyond the court nearly vanished. Hence, the <em>boteh jegheh<\/em> does not appear on the royal carpets of the Safavid Dynasty. A royal object should not be stepped on or represented on an object placed on the ground. Thus, while the <em>boteh jegheh<\/em> continued to appear on the gold thread fabrics that royalty wore, it was absent from the carpets of this period of Persian history. However, textile artists of distant villages, unconcerned or possibly unaware of the <em>boteh jegheh\u2019s<\/em> royal status, continued to employ this design in their carpets.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/haji-piyada-mosque-noh-gumbad-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin-top:-30px\"><em>Built between the beginning of the 8<sup>th<\/sup> century and the first half of the 9<sup>th<\/sup> century AD, it is believed that the Noh Gunbad Mosque is the oldest building of the Islamic era in Afghanistan.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/NaderShahPainting.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin-top:-30px\">Boteh jegheh<em> ornament on the Crown of Nader Shah <a href=\"\/en\/rug-guide\/afshar\/\">Afshar<\/a>, Founder of the Afsharid Dynasty, Persia (1688-1747)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Following the end of the Safavid period (circa 1736), the <em>boteh<\/em> design proliferated across the entire Persian territory, re-emerging in general arts and carpets. The form of the <em>boteh<\/em> evolved and migrated to other regions. By the late 17<sup>th<\/sup> century, it became a popular design in Mughal India (1526-1857), which maintained strong cultural ties with Persia. In northern India, the <em>boteh<\/em>, meaning flower in Hindi and Urdu, was primarily used in shawls woven with the fine wool of Kashmir, known as pashmina. This superior quality wool, composed of superfine threads of yarn from the mountain goats of the Himalayas, featured the first surviving examples of the <em>boteh<\/em> motif in Kashmir weavings from the 15<sup>th<\/sup> century AD. These were possibly commissioned by Sultan Zein-al-Aabedin, who introduced Persian designs to India. Since then, the motif has gained popularity among the wool shawls of Kashmir. During the Mughal period, the <em>boteh<\/em> design was reimagined with plant and flower representations, resembling a flowering and curvilinear bush, as seen in the shawl below.<\/p>\n<p>In the first half of the 17<sup>th<\/sup> century, the British East India Company introduced shawls and other fabric items made in Kashmir to Europe. Britain led the manufacturing of women\u2019s shawls using the boteh design when, in 1790 and 1792, the weavers of Edinburgh and Norwich began reproducing Kashmir shawls in only two colours, typically indigo and red. Paisley\u2019s weavers in Scotland joined this burgeoning industry in 1805. In 1812, they used five different thread colours, giving Paisley\u2019s weavers a competitive edge over weavers from other regions that used only two colours. Soon, the town name Paisley became synonymous with the <em>boteh<\/em> motif, and the demand for shawls grew as women across Britain began seeking \u2018paisleys\u2019. In Europe, <em>boteh<\/em> is referred to as paisley. From Britain, the <em>boteh<\/em> spread globally, becoming a universal design. It retains its luxury even in its simplest forms, presenting inherent and appealing art. While the <em>boteh<\/em> figure is still depicted in the shape of a teardrop, the design has also been recreated in more abstract versions.<\/p>\n<p>After this extensive journey through the history of the <em>boteh<\/em>, it\u2019s possible that this design holds different meanings and representations for people across various regions. One day, it may be possible to trace its history and transition from one empire, culture, and religion to another. Until new archaeological discoveries are made, the origins of the <em>boteh<\/em> and its meanings remain speculative. However, one thing is certain: the <em>boteh<\/em> is a captivating design. Now that you\u2019re aware of its ancient roots, there\u2019s a unique reason for you to appreciate the ancient carpets featuring this intriguing design. Figalli Oriental Rugs offers you magnificent pieces adorned with this enigmatic design.<\/p>\n<h2>How to read the boteh in an antique rug<\/h2>\n<p>Once you know its history, the boteh becomes a practical tool for reading rugs. Each weaving region drew the motif with an accent of its own, and those accents help identify where \u2013 and often when \u2013 a piece was made.<\/p>\n<p>In western Persia, the weavers of the Serabend district, Malayer and Sarouk covered entire fields with orderly rows of small botehs \u2013 the celebrated mir-i-boteh layout, whose name survives in the \u201cMir\u201d rugs of the trade. In <a href=\"\/en\/rug-guide\/kerman\/\">Kerman<\/a>, designers translated the motif from the luxurious termeh shawls woven in the same region, drawing it with a curving, almost calligraphic elegance. Caucasian weavers went the opposite way: in rugs from Baku, <a href=\"\/en\/rug-guide\/gendje\/\">Gendje<\/a> and <a href=\"\/en\/rug-guide\/shirvan\/\">Shirvan<\/a> the boteh turns angular and bold, sometimes hooked, sometimes tilted as if bent by the wind. Khorasan and Qashqai weavings each add a dialect of their own.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screenshot_4-nobg.webp\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align:center;margin-top:-30px\"><em>Shawl made of Kashmir wool. The central panel features a twelve-pointed star and four boteh designs with a folded tip. The outer edge also has botehs with the same shape and floral motifs.&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Collectors read these details the way a linguist reads accents: the size, the slant and the interior drawing of the boteh \u2013 plain, flowered, or filled with tiny botehs \u2013 narrow down origin and period with surprising precision.<\/p>\n<h3>Quick answers<\/h3>\n<figure class=\"fig-auto-img\" style=\"margin:2.4em auto;text-align:center;\"><span class=\"fig-mat\" style=\"display:inline-flex;align-items:center;justify-content:center;box-sizing:border-box;width:300px;height:300px;max-width:100%;background:#fdfdfb;border:1px solid rgba(34,26,18,.14);padding:14px;box-shadow:0 3px 20px rgba(34,26,18,.09);\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/design-paisley-drawing.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"display:block;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;width:auto;height:auto;\"><\/span><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Is boteh the same as paisley?<\/strong> Yes. Paisley is the Western name the motif acquired in the 19th century, when the Scottish town of Paisley became the great centre of shawl weaving; boteh is the original Persian term.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What does the boteh symbolize?<\/strong> The most accepted readings connect it to a seed, a flame or a cypress bent by the wind \u2013 images of life, renewal and eternity. Its exact origin is still debated among scholars.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the boteh jegheh?<\/strong> The royal form of the motif, used as an emblem on Persian crowns and regalia from the Safavid period onward \u2013 the ancestor of the ornament seen on antique Persian rugs and Kashmir shawls alike.<\/p>\n<p data-figalli-links=\"boteh-en\"><strong>Continue exploring:<\/strong> browse our <a href=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/categorias\/persians\/\">antique Persian rugs<\/a>, discover the boteh-signature <a href=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/rug-guide\/seraband\/\">Seraband weaves<\/a>, or view an <a href=\"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/product\/malayer-northwest-persia\/\">antique Malayer rug<\/a> featuring this motif.<\/p>\n<p data-figalli-related=\"1\"><strong>Related reading:<\/strong> <a href=\"\/en\/rug-education\/kerman-a-persian-garden-inside-your-home\/\">Kerman \u2013 A Persian Garden inside your home<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/rug-education\/ardabil-the-most-famous-carpet-in-the-world\/\">Ardabil, the most famous carpet in the world<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/rug-education\/are-heriz-and-serapi-identical-rug-types-or-do-they-exhibit-differences\/\">Are Heriz and Serapi identical rug types, or do they exhibit differences?<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/rug-education\/are-antique-rugs-expensive\/\">Are antique rugs expensive?<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"\/en\/rug-education\/understanding-the-rugs-backside\/\">Understanding the Rug\u2019s Backside<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","grupo_conhecimento":[349],"class_list":["post-11289","orientacoes-para-com","type-orientacoes-para-com","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/orientacoes-para-com\/11289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/orientacoes-para-com"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/orientacoes-para-com"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/orientacoes-para-com\/11289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20239,"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/orientacoes-para-com\/11289\/revisions\/20239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"grupo_conhecimento","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/figalli.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/grupo_conhecimento?post=11289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}