Chintz Fabric

The word Chintz is from the Sanskrit word “chitra,” meaning variegated. It originated in India in the 1600’s, and was a popular fabric used for bedspreads and draperies. As traders began bringing chintz into Europe, local mills became afraid of losing business as they were still unable to produce chintz. The French banned all chintz fabric imports in 1686 and the English Parliament banned the fabric in 1720. In 1759, the ban was lifted. Many of these chintz prototypes that the European mills were trying to manufacture can be seen today in the Musee Nationele d’Histore Naturelle in Paris.