Page:The Industrial Arts of India.djvu/175

 St George’s cross^ or a FUfot swasiika, *.<?, “auspicious”] cross, the silk was termed Stauron, or Siaur acinus, and Poiystauron , De fundato were silks covered with a netted pattern in gold ; and Stragulatm were stiped on barred silks, evidently derived origin- ally from India, Tissue is cloth of gold or silver, similar to yiclatoun and Tartarium or Naqucs [a word corrupted, I believe, from the Hindi, naksha, a picture], and the soneri and ruferi of India ■ and the flimsy paper called tissue-paper was originally made to place between the tissue to prevent its fraying or tarnish- ing when folded. Cloth of Pall would be any brocade used as an ensign, robe, or covering-pall of state, and generally means Baud e kin, Camoca is the same word as kincob kintk/nm Shawl is the Sanscrit sala y a floor, or room, because shawls w-ere first used as carpets, hangings, and coverlets. The word therefore is in its origin the same as the French sails and the Italian salons, saloon or large room. The name Bandana pocket handkerchiefs is derived from the Indian w ord bhandu ■ applied to stuffs from the method, to be hereinafter described, by which they are printed in spots.

Cottons,

Cotton manufacture did not obtain a real footing in Europe until last century. At a date before history the art was carried from India to Assyria and Egypt ; but it was not until the thirteenth century that the cotton plant w T as introduced into Southern Europe where its wool was at first used to make paper. The manufacture of it into cloth in imitation of the fabrics of Egypt and India was first attempted by the Italian States in the thirteenth century; from which it w r as carried into the Low Countries, and thence passed over to England in the seventeenth century. In 1 641 il Manchester cottons/’ made up in imitation of Indian cottons, were still made of wool. But in vain did Manchester attempt to compete on fair free-trade principles with the printed calicoes of India ; and gradually Indian chintzes became so generally worn in England, to the detriment