HOLLANDIA black

The original belongs to a private collection and consists of two fragments, produced in Amsterdam, Holland, about 1760. The pattern is typical of the designs exported to Europe from Gujarat and the Coromandel Coast in India during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Indian botanical (hand-painted) fabrics became so popular that the Dutch East India Company early established trading posts and factories to trade cotton, indigo and silk. It was only in the latter part of the 18th century that craftsmen in Holland managed to produce a similar product using wooden blocks in the process. In this way, production became cheaper and the middle class got access to the colorful botanical prints.

The fabrics called Chintz, from the Hindu word "chhint" meaning spotted or painted, were used both for interiors and clothing.