Fabric Focus
TEXTILE TALES
After centuries of appeal, the intricately printed cotton cloth continues to resonate with new generations of decorators in both modern and archival-inspired depictions
Few, if any, textiles can rival chintz for the revelations it throws upon the tapestry of global trade, cultural intersection and international competition in technical skill.
The story of chintz is one of artistry and innovation, colonialism and craft, indigenous knowledge and industrialised production. It is also the story of the power of design – which not only captivates worldwide admiration but also has the power to ignite rivalries for commercial dominance.
Indigenous skill
Today, the term chintz is synonymous with the beautiful floral fabrics that are core to the traditional English country house style. Yet it is, in fact, a derivation from the Hindi ‘Chint’ or ‘Chitta’ – which translates as spotted, speckled, variegated or sprayed, and relates to the process more than the motif – and this reveals its true origins from the southern Asian subcontinent.
The cloth dates back to ancient times. Artisans, particularly in coastal southeast India, developed skilful methods for hand-drawing, painting and handblock printing onto calico cotton. Native wisdom in utilising plant pigments, mordants, resist-dyeing and overdyeing techniques resulted in vibrant and – importantly – colourfast textiles. The more costly of these were coated with a rice-starch concoction and handpolished with shells to achieve a soft sheen ‘glazed’ finish.
In her book Cloth that changed the World, Sarah Fee, senior curator in Global Fashion & Textiles (Asia and Africa) at Royal Ontario Museum reveals: ‘Mastering these versatile materials and methods, India’s artisans created an incredible range of compositions, from tiny repeating floral blossoms to enliven dress fabrics to monumental scenes of mounted horsemen in the throes of battle, commissioned to adorn palace walls.
‘Certain natural features predisposed the South Asian subcontinent to create these brilliant works: unique climatic conditions that favoured the cultivation of cotton and potent subtropical dye plants, as well as waters with special mineral properties that improved colour,’ she continues. ‘But the key ingredient was human ingenuity to domesticate cotton, develop remarkably complex chemical processes, perfect unrivalled hand skills, and create sophisticated supply chains.’
In addition, Fee explains: ‘Sunshine and animal dung [were] further essential for whitening grounds and brightening colours. Together, they ens
