. Cotton . centuries of the Christian era and a few centuries previous, suchdesigns as existed being largely of a tribal or sacerdotal character,were unfitted for export. We know that the first silks transported over the old caravanroute were in narrow bolts 19 inches in width, undyed. These weretaken to the old cities of Petra and Damascus, unraveled, dyed andwoven in patterns that suited the taste of the Mediterranean controlled the sale of silk, we know. There can be little doubtthat the lack of it at this period prevented the spread of cotton. At a later period, India excell
. Cotton . centuries of the Christian era and a few centuries previous, suchdesigns as existed being largely of a tribal or sacerdotal character,were unfitted for export. We know that the first silks transported over the old caravanroute were in narrow bolts 19 inches in width, undyed. These weretaken to the old cities of Petra and Damascus, unraveled, dyed andwoven in patterns that suited the taste of the Mediterranean controlled the sale of silk, we know. There can be little doubtthat the lack of it at this period prevented the spread of cotton. At a later period, India excelled in the dyers art, and acquired ahighly diversified technique in applying color to cotton fabrics. Hercarved teakwood blocks for direct printing and for the application ofresist waxes and clays reached a degree of perfection never sinceapproached. The simplest form was unquestionably that of tying afabric with a cord or thread so as to form a pattern and trusting to [10] A BRIEF NARRATIVE OF A GREAT FIBRE. Modern tie-dyed fabric from India. The ancient craft skill and traditional design have survived a century of machine production. (Collection of the Author) the dye ;g qualities of the thread to produce design by and weft were independently treated in the same manner, dyedand woven in intricate patterns. The use of a type of stylus wrapped with woolen yarn to holdmolten wax was the predecessor of the little cup of copper leaf usedat a later time in Java in the familiar batik technique. The arts ofresist-dyeing were taught the Javanese by the Buddhist missionariesof the Seventh Century, perhaps even a few centuries before, bytraders; and the Chinese and the Japanese owe their skillful tech-nique in stenciling, dyeing and stamping to European missionariesand traders, Dutch, English and French, who first learned the arts inIndia. There is conclusive evidence that a great part of Japanesesilk design may be traced to the influence of Indian cottons. [11]
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectcottonmanufacture
