The boteh is one of the most widespread motifs in the entire Oriental rug tradition. Visually, it is an almond- or teardrop-shaped figure with a distinctively curved or hooked upper tip. The motif's origins are debated but predate the Common Era, with possible roots in Zoroastrian symbolism representing flame, cypress, or the seed of life.
The boteh appears across an enormous geographic range:
- Persian rugs — particularly Sarabend (which uses boteh as a repeating all-over pattern), Mir, Qashqai, Senneh, Bijar, and many others
- Caucasian rugs — including Marasali and other Shirvan-region prayer rugs
- Kashmiri shawls — from which the motif entered Western textile design in the 18th–19th centuries
When the motif arrived in Britain through trade with Kashmir, it was extensively copied by textile mills in the town of Paisley, Scotland, which gave the design its widely used Western name: paisley. In rug terminology, however, the original term boteh is preferred.
Boteh rugs typically use the motif in one of two ways:
- As a repeating all-over pattern filling the field (e.g., Sarabend, Marasali)
- As a secondary or accent motif within a more complex medallion or floral design
The boteh's enduring appeal lies in its visual flexibility — it works equally well in densely packed geometric arrangements and in more refined curvilinear settings.