Many of us know chintz as a common floral patterned and printed cloth used to create dresses, jackets and furnishings. But did you know that chintz originated in the southeastern coastal region of the Indian sub-continent known as the Coromandel Coast?
The origin of the word “chintz” is the Hindi word “cheent” which means speckled, sprayed or spotted.
Originally created to adorn palace walls in India these popular fabrics featured a variety of bold patterns and striking colors - from stylized floral motifs to complex themes depicting nature or battle scenes. These were hand-painted or printed by highly skilled artisans that used sophisticated techniques.
While there are several attempts to revive Indian chintz today, they exist in slightly different forms: in the art of "kalamkari" (drawing with a pen) and in hand-block-printing. The designs that evoke memories of the popular Indian chintz of yore, however, are primarily block-printed, Kalamkari focuses on traditional designs, though this is changing. Hand-drawing the beautiful chintz designs has captured the imagination of a few young designers today and they are attempting to revive these ancient techniques.