See caption
18th-century Indian chintz fragment
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Chintz is a printed, painted, stained or glazed calico textile to which mordants and resists have been used to help dyes adhere, a technique developed thousands of years ago in modern-day India and Pakistan.[1][a]Calico is a plain white or unbleached cotton cloth.[2] The material was first exported to England from Calicut in India, later Calcutta, now renamed Kolkata.[2] A material typically used for upholstery or curtains, the name is an English variation of the Hindi word chīnṭ,[3] meaning “spotted, variegated, speckled, or sprayed”.[1]

The term began to be used in Europe for both painted and printed calicos during the 17th century,[4] and today is a catch-all for “gaudy floral designs”.[1]

Notes

Notes
a Calico is a plain white or unbleached cotton cloth.[2] The material was first exported to England from Calicut in India, later Calcutta, now renamed Kolkata.[2]

References

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Bibliography

Bekhrad, Joobin. The Floral Fabric That Was Banned. 21 Apr. 2020, https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200420-the-cutesy-fabric-that-was-banned.
Clarke, Michael. “Chintz.” Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, Online, Oxford University Press, 2010, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199569922.001.0001/acref-9780199569922-e-430.
Singh, Seema. “Golconda Chintz: Manufacture and Trade in the 17th Century.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 49, 1988, pp. 301–05, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44148394.
Stevenson, Angus, editor. “Calico.” Oxford Dictionary of English, Online, Oxford University press, 2010, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199571123.001.0001/m_en_gb0117050.