Calico

Calico (/ˈkælɪkoʊ/; in British usage since 1505)[1] is a heavy[2] plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton.

[4] It was mentioned in Indian literature by the 12th century when the polymath and writer Hemachandra described calico fabric prints with a lotus design.

By the 15th century, calico from Gujarat made its appearance in Cairo, then capital of the Egypt Eyalet under the Ottoman Empire.

Also, Lancashire businessmen produced grey cloth with linen warp and cotton weft, known as fustian, which they sent to London for finishing.

[6] The Woollen, etc., Manufactures Act 1720 was passed, enacting fines against anyone caught wearing printed or stained calico muslins, but neckcloths and fustians were exempted.

The Lancashire manufacturers exploited this exemption; coloured cotton weft with linen warp were specifically permitted by the 1736 Manchester Act.

[7] Early Indian chintz, that is, glazed calico with a large floral pattern, was primarily produced using painting techniques.

Calico printers at work are depicted in one of the stained glass windows made by Stephen Adam for the Maryhill Burgh Halls, Glasgow.

[8] The commercial method of calico printing using engraved rollers was invented in 1821 in New Mills, Derbyshire, in the United Kingdom.

[13] In the UK, Australia and New Zealand: In the US: Printed calico was imported into the United States from Lancashire in the 1780s, and here a linguistic separation occurred.