Textile, mordant painted and dyed chintz

Date1700-1750

MediumMordant-painted and dyed cotton (chintz)

Dimensions7 1/4" H X 10 1/4" W

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Cora Ginsburg

Object number1986-53

DescriptionFragment of chintz cotton, or mordant painted and resist dyed textile. The fragment has three straight edges and one curved edge. The design consists of repeated isolated floral sprigs in madder reds and light indigo blue.
Label TextThis textile reveals clear evidence of having been hand mordant-painted. Although the flower outlines repeat, some of the colors, spacing, and numbers of leaves and petals vary from sprig to sprig, a characteristic that would not occur when using the same carved woodblocks for the motifs. Because India mordant-painted and dyed textiles were hand painted, details vary from area to area, even when a design has an overall repeat.