Chinz, pintado and palampore: the marketing and market of imported indian textiles 1600-1800

This paper examines the impact of international trade on domestic consumption practices of printed cotton furnishing textiles between 1600-1800. Specifically it examines the taste for printed cottons or chintzes originating in India, and the subsequent social and cultural impacts these fabrics had on English (and French) taste. The use of actor-network theory to better understand the role of chintz in the period is a valuable way of negotiating the multiplicity of historical connections that arise. The elements of the network define and shape one another mainly through fashion.