Indian chinz or Ispherhan kalamkari • (175 x 116cm)

There was once a large trade in painted palampore clothes or chintz as they are known in the West from the Coromandel coast in Southern India until mid 19th cent. All ably assisted by the British East India Company and their Dutch counterparts The Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC).  Around mid 19th cent with changing political events and a shortage of silver this import trade was banned by the Qajars who encouraged domestic production in establishing Ispherhaan workshops and adpoting the term ' Kalamkari ' ( Pen-Work ) although that description is itself erroneous given the domestic product and Indian methods had by that time degraded with the cheaper use of printing blocks enhanced by free drawing using traditional mordant resist techniques.

When presented with such a cloth from the mid 19th cent one struggles to make a correct attribution. Usually Indian products have a finer cotton cloth so given that the Indian origin is arguably better adopted for this example.

#14863

mid 19th cent