PRINTED FABRICS

considerable impetus from the skill and activity of the woodengravers of the 15 th and 16th centuries.

Many of the Rhenish printed fabrics reproduced the distinctiveFlorentine woven velvets and brocades. Fig. 47, from a printedlinen chasuble, is a good example of the freedom of interpretation,due to the process of wood-engraving, in representing the typicalwoven Florentine radiating flower.

It was in India that the highest achievement in printed fabricswas reached. Unlike the early printed fabrics of Europe, whichwere usually an attempt to imitate the more costly woven fabrics,the Indian printed pattern was distinctly a creation that arose outof the recognition ofthe beauty and har-mony of selectednatural forms in re-petition, and theirperfect adaptabilityfor the process ofprinting.

The Kalamkarand Palampore, orcalico bed-covers, arefine examples ofIndian patterning.

The Kalamkar isa painted fabric, withan outline drawn witha reed pen,the coloursbeing afterwards filledin by hand.

The Palampore isprinted from a seriesof small blocks skilfully arranged to cover the whole surface witha foliated design interspersed with birds and animals. Plate 88 is arepresentative example of the Indian Palampore. Plate 89, a Persianprinted cover, is of very similar design, and plate 90 shows a typicalcolour scheme.

The Indian designer shows considerable skill and resource inthe planning of ornament; floral forms predominate, treated witha decorative convention and, like all Eastern patterning, perfectin proportion and distribution of ornament, and in significanceand beauty of detail, together with a frank use of the primary andsecondary colours.

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Fig. 47.—Italian Artichoke Pattern.