Textile

Object Type
Quantities of Indian painted textiles were imported into Europe by the Dutch, English and French East India Companies during the 17th century. They provided a direct incentive for the production of satisfactory substitutes at home, and this led to the development of European calico printing industries. Printed calicoes were used for both furnishing and dress fabrics, this example being for furnishing.

Places
In 1676 William Sherwin of West Ham in London was granted a patent 'for a new way of printing broad callicoe'. It seems likely he was the first English manufacturer to print textiles using madder dyes and mordants (substances to fix the dyes) for the different shades required. In the 1690s a number of calico printers had workshops in East London, always near good sources of water, like the River Lea, quantities of water being necessary for different stages of the manufacturing process.

Trading & Ownership
Similar developments in textile printing to those in England were taking place in Europe, particularly The Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland, and it is difficult to determine the origin of European printed textiles of this date. This cotton was acquired by the Museum from an Icelandic source in the 1880s. Iceland was ruled by Denmark in the late 17th century, and Denmark had strong trade links with London, so an English origin is possible for it.