« Indienne » Textile were a style of printed textile heavily influenced by the similar textile produced in India for centuries, popularised through the orientalist western fashion of fetishising the « Orient ». It was a non western influence on western clothing. Production started in Europe during the 17th century but the product was already imported from India since the beginning of 16th century. The production in Europe was laborious and the textiles manufactured were of lesser quality than the Indian produced ones.
The Calico Ban, or prohibtion was introduced in England in 1698 (and toher countries in europe around that time ) after the very endangered local textile industries put pressure on the crown to ban import of Indian cotton cloth. This economical mesure banned any import into the european market of indian made calico cloths ( cotton ) In England this measure came with a wave of economic nationalism, anyone seen wearing imported textiles would have to be arrested. The same measure was applied in France under Louis XIV, in order to boost local productions and thus exports. Even-though these measures were extreme it boosted the textile production in Europe and in countries like the Netherlands, France and England. Textile printing was also invested in and promoted, the European artisans imitated and remixed the Indian heritage of Chintz textile. However Chintz was still imported secretly with higher prices for members of the high nobility or from the royal family like Madame de Pompadour in Louis XV’s court. The Indian textiles became a symbol of great wealth. The calico act was officially repealed in England in 1867 and in France 1789, though it had already loosened a lot.
"Indienne" french textile motif called
"Indienne floral de Nîmes". France 18th century. Orientalist reinterpretation of indian Chintz.
Chintz originated in India, where it had been produced for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Chintz was one of the most delicate and fine textile produced at the time, it was very demanded in Europe, thus creating an imbalance in the import/export of the european textile industries, the western world preferred the indian textiles rather then the european ones. The dyeing and printing techniques used to create colourful and durable designs were very advanced. Indian artisans used natural dyes and mordanting methods to fix the colours. This textile was all handprinted and sometimes block printed. The Indian textile production of Chintz became a major part of colonial trade between Europe and India with European settlers putting pressure on the India labour force to always produce more for little or no pay to a nearly industrial level. Meanwhile the demand for Chintz in Europe sky rocketed with a very large orders coming from all the European courts. The imported textile was cheaper and of better quality then European ones.The local silk, wool, linen and printing industries were heavily endangered.These indian textiles were so popular in Europe that they became part of regional dresses in some parts of Europe like the Netherlands for instance, meaning that many tradionnal dress of Europe considered purely western are actually directly inspired by century old indian designs. ( CF Hindeloopen traditional dutch costume )
Bibliography:
- https://www.youtube.com/embed/BVisX929J6I?start=1474&end=2882
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBdHrPt7Ls
- https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/chintz-explained
-https://mapacademy.io/article/chintz/
- https://decorativefair.com/history-of-chintz-in-design/
- https://encyclopedia.design/2024/11/13/the-history-and-impact-of-chintz-fabric-in-decorative-arts/
- https://enrouteindianhistory.com/history-of-indian-cotton/
- https://www.theheritagelab.in/indian-textile-chintz/
-https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/449105
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGsxvSe8IPs
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhIzcIiwZo4
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ-mwjg60Oc
- https://ateliernostalgia.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/traditional-costume-hindeloopen/
- https://www.friesmuseum.nl/en/see-and-do/exhibitions/geweest/chintz-cotton-in-bloom
-https://theodorusjohannes.nl/storytelling/community-dressing
Dhaka Muslin
Dhaka muslin was one of the most prized imported textile of the colonial era. It was the finest cotton toile ever made and the secret of its production was kept by skills artisans in India where the fabric had been worn by elites for centuries already. The colonial impact on the production of Dhaka muslin was profound and devastating. Before colonisation, Dhaka muslin was a luxury fabric, prized for its fineness and transparency, and was often compared to gold in terms of value. However, with the arrival of British colonists, the production of this fabric declined dramatically.
British colonists treated muslin weavers brutally, forcing them to produce fabrics and taking their manufacturing techniques to replicate in Europe. The Industrial Revolution in England allowed for the production of much cheaper textiles, making Dhaka muslin less competitive on the international market. Moreover, tariffs imposed by Europeans further exacerbated the situation, making the trade of this delicate fabric unviable. Colonial policies included repressive measures against local artisans. It is reported that weavers were sometimes mutilated to prevent them from producing muslin, thus eliminating local competition. The British, little by little destroyed all the mills and deported all the artisans to other place in India These actions led to the loss of many traditional production techniques and soon the craft disappeared and no one from the newer generation knew how to produce this special kind of muslin. Dhaka muslin production finally ceased in the 18th century due to a combination of factors: competition from cheap fabrics produced in England, colonial oppression, and the repression of local artisans. Only recently, thanks to revitalisation initiatives, has Dhaka muslin production begun to revive, with efforts to recover traditional techniques and revive this historic fabric. Scientists have tried to recreate the specific strand of cotton used in Dhaka muslin, the work is in progress but the perfect product isn’t there yet. The colonial oppression from the British made this craft and material vanish from the face of the Earth.
Example of The Hindeloopen regional dress :
Hindeloopen is a small town in the north of Friesland, Netherlands, it use to be a very vibrant harbour city starting in the 15th century. The local traditionnal costume was heavily inspired by this sea trade that included the colonial market. In this context Chintz textiles were imported in the harbour of Hindeloopen from India and it soon was implemented in the local regional dress, therefore showcasing the trade heritage of the town in the traditonnal attire, as a pride. This fact clearly shows how european regional dresses got directly influenced by traditionnal indian designs through an oppresive colonial trade and how it appropriated and implemented these elements in the western culture. This means that the typical European culture is actually often times directly influenced by non western elements.
