chintz fabric

What is chintz?

Firstly, we need to know what it is. It is a much used word these days. ‘chintzy’ has a negative connotation, some gaudy garish pattern with a quaint , almost cheap quality. But this has not always been the case. We think that the evolution of this word is rather sad and an unfortunate departure from what Chintz once represented and exuded. So we will do a full exploration into this 18th century Indian textile, and more information will surely come to light about the history of chintz fabrics, Chintz Clothing and more.

What is chintz material?

Chintz is woodblock printed textile, originating in India in modern day Hyderabad which was once Golconda in the 16th century. Chintz history is that it originated from Calico which gets its name from Calcutta, and the chintz fabric was most produced in Gujarat as well as Hyderabad.

chintz fabric

chintz fabric

What does chintz mean

The name is derived from the Hindi word Chint which means sprayed, or speckled. Later on in the 19th century, people associated the word with floral design. But originally the name was referring to the intricate speckled designs and the flowers. 

How do you pronounce chintz 

‘Chin’-’tz’.

What is chintz fabric

Chintz is also known as calico; it is actually a fabric which can be printed onto it. It can be used for clothes or even curtains. The word chintz can include pottery and other forms of art for example, tiles and wallpaper. 

Chintz fabric characteristics

The finish is glossy from the glazing of the chintz, which means that it is glossy and shiny. The glaze can be either wax or starch glaze which are all temporary finishes. Or potentially even chemical resin. It is different to damask fabric, as it has more sheen. 

Chintz Colour

There is a variety of colour when it comes to chintz. Because it stems from India, there are a lot of different colours, because of the great array of colours that they could make from the paints. As well as this you will find a lot of the earlier works having indian reliefs and art. Generally the colour is a lilac and a light brown. 

chintz wallpaper

chintz wallpaper

Chintz Calico

You may have been trying to Calico google, to no avail! Have you heard these two words put together, well i am here to tell you more about this interesting link, and about the calico ban. We will also learn about the Calico meaning. Brocade is also great but looks different to Chintz.

Calico definition

Calico is not fully processed cotton that has been woven together . you will often find it in tote bags and can appear husky. In addition to this, muslin is a lot more fine than calico. But it can be said that calico is what they use to make chintz fabric and colourful Chintz Cloth. It became so popular in parts of Europe – namely Britain in the 17th century which then caused a calico ban to come into place. 

What is chintz China

Chintz china is referring to these patterns which are printed onto bone china. These were very popular after world war 2, and heavily feature imagery of flowers and other floral patterns. They are kind of out of fashion these days but have seen a revival in that sort of Cottagey afternoon tea vibe that people seem to like these days.