Scientific Journal of Pazhuhesh-e Honar

The history of textile in Kashan dates back to the millennia BC. In the Islamic era, it was one of the most important centers for the production of silk and cotton fabrics. One of the textiles that was produced in Kashan from the Safavid era onwards was called chit (i.e. chintz). Chintz is the art of block stamping on calicoes. This technique, which was a cheap way to imitate brocade and embroidery, was popularized in Iran and India from the beginning of the seventeenth century. Since these cheap goods were produced for everyday use, very few examples and historical documents have been survived. This paper with examination of a newly discovered document belonging to first Pahlavi era, surveys the characteristics of chintz production in Kashan. This research has been done by using library and documentary materials and descriptive-analytical and historical methods. One of the most important questions is the technical and artistic features, the prevalence and the reason for the decline of Kashan Chintz production. The document presented in this paper shows that in 1938, at least eighteen Chintz making workshops were active in Kashan, which indicates the widespread prosperity of this art in Kashan. This document was in fact a trade agreement for the payment of taxes, so that everyone should pay taxes based on their share in the chintz production of the city. Compared with Isfahan productions, Kashan chintz, especially those printed in two colors, can be considered as imitations of carpets. One of the main reasons for the degeneration of Kashan chintz in the second Pahlavi era was variety of items produced in the textile factories of the city.