THE COLOURFUL CHINTZ

Evening Star, Issue 22276, 29 February 1936, Page 27

THE COLOURFUL CHINTZ

A ROMANTIC CAREER MODERN ENGLISH HOMES. The colourful chintz which delighted Englishmen as long ago as 1662, when diarist Pepys reports that he has just bought his wife a new “ shint ” for the study, and which at a later date was immortalised in an ode by Pope, who speaks of “ charming chintzes ” has returned to favour, writes Elizabeth Richmond, in the London ‘ Daily Telegraph.’ The Duchess of York has had much chintz utilised both in her London and Windsor homes, especially in the nurseries, where it is quilted blue in one case, and quilted pink in the other. Old-fashioned harmonious chintzes, such as the celebrated Queen Anne chintz at Knole, which has about sixteen bright colours in it, have been reproduced for modern furniture coverings and recently the chintz from a famous Wiltshire home was copied specially fob a bride’s new house. One reason for the return of the chintz to fashion is that during the last few years amazing improvements have been wrought with English chintzes by North of England manufacturers. Instead of making it from handblocks they have subjected it successfully to superior methods of roller printing. It has become possible also to copy in soft, restful tones of green, blue, or pink the patterns used in Georgian. houses which favoured chintzs so much that it was said that rin eighteenth-century English house without chintz was like “ Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.” In bygone times backgrounds had to be plain white, instead of the gentle shades in which modern colourists rejoice. Demand For Rare Patterns.

There is a big demand just now for rare old patterns, and recently in a chintz shop I saw ofte which had an interesting history. It was the reproduction of an early English chintz which had been found in Spain, taken

there, doubtless, when the vogue was at its height. It had a striking design of immense white flowers against a thick background of heavy green leaves. Some of the most interesting eighteenth-century chintzes show what 'was believed to be the typical Chinaman of the time —a little, yellow, pig-tailed man skipping or swinging against a background of dainty pagodas. A few were topical and favourite puce chintz curtains illustrated the American War of Independence with Red Indians and sailing vessels in delightful juxtaposition. Old chintzes had a romantic, chequered career. They came at first from India, made from material which had been glazed by steeping it in buffalo s milk and fruit juice and subjecting it to much burnishing and polishing before the painter traced on his design by hand. To-day . the stiffening of chintzes is still an intricate business. The material has to be polished by rubbing it over stones, but the majority of modern chintzes used for ’ chair coverings are only semi-glazed. It, however, you examine the new chintz lampshades, mats, and other accessories which emphasise the success of the chintz vogue, you can s ? e ™ en l, many shops—you will find that they have been made of full glazed chintz, with its attractive stiffness.

Early Indian. Early Indian chintzes were lively indeed, with rich rose, full crimson, and shell-pink tones, their introduction of purple fading to lilac and later the addition of blues, greens, and citron yellow, used in designs that featuied frequently the Tree of Life. If, found that while home-painted cloths and linens faded with washing, the Indian chintzes grew brighter. Ihey were not cheap; a good bedspread cost £3B Later a special Act of Parliament forbade their importation, as they were injuring the safe of home-woven textiles. English designers printed them, trusting chiefly to luck for success, and at first they were not altogether forinnate. Women loved to wear these English chintzes, but a second Act torbade their use for apparel. Inexpert roller printing destroyed the charm of the chintz in the nineteenth century. The beautiful new ones which the twentieth century is producing are most frequently quiited.