George Percival Baker
(1856 - 1951)
Calico Painting and Printing in the East Indies in the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries
George Percival Baker, Calico Painting and Printing in the East Indies in the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries, London: Edward Arnold, 1921, first edition
In two volumes
Text: xii, 78 pages, 9 plates with 20 illustrations including 1 colour plate, map illustrating early European agencies and factories in India; 22.8 x 17.7 x 0.5 in (58 x 45 x 1.5 cm)
Portfolio: 37 loose coloured plates on 35 leaves of size 29.7 x 21.8 in (75.5 x 55.5 cm) (each). Plate 37 has been supplied with a facsimile copy.
Loose plates as issued in publisher's decorative linen-covered portfolio with a cloth belt buckle, text volume in matching quarter cloth
Overall size: 29.9 x 23.4 x 1.5 in (76 x 59.5 x 4 cm)
Overall weight: 2.250 kg
An outrageously large, packed, ribboned, and folded masterwork of commercial printing is this Calico Painting and Printing in the East Indies in the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries of 1921. This magnificent and extensive portfolio yearns to be unfurled.
Before one may unfold the outside boards of the calico-vignetted book, one must first join two broad, silvery ribbands. The two inner boards must then be opened by untying the two delicate pairs of satin aubergine ribbon, revealing the stack of elephantine prints.
All of the Calico fabric designs from India is on thick paper, and they are all very gorgeous in terms of presentation and colour. The multi-fruited Tree of Life is depicted, along with dense flowers, imaginary castles, huge sailing ships, and a menagerie of animals, including lions, giraffes, and many a strutting peacock.
A finely produced work illustrated with large colour plates, on Calico printing in the East Indies, illustrating many of the printed cottons that are now in the Victoria & Albert Museum's collection and also the map illustrating early European agencies and factories in India.
The book is a significant work by George P Baker. It delves into the historical and artistic aspects of Calico painting and printing in the East Indies during the 17th and 18th centuries. Calico refers to a type of plain-woven textile made from unbleached cotton. The art of Calico painting involves using various dyes and pigments to create intricate designs and patterns on the fabric.
This book seeked to give design students a set of replicas of the most distinctive examples of a captivating art that is rarely known and has long since vanished. In the art and technical museums of Europe, including the Indian Section of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Rijks Museum, the Museum of the Société Industrielle in Mulhouse, the Art Museum in Leeuwarden, Holland, and the Library of the Musée de l'Union des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, one can still find some of these hand-painted calicoes. Some of these hand-painted calicoes are regarded as manufacturing masterworks and are compared to the finest Oriental carpets.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, these printed hangings were introduced to Europe, and country homes all over England used them. The French Régence style displayed the impact of the prevailing desire for Chinoiserie. The East's influence might be seen in the rococo style. Much of the "motif" in what were known as the "Jacobean" designs used in English embroidery hangings at that time was ornamentation of large trees growing from mounds of earth, enlivened with the rich Aora of the Orient, and diversified with various birds, monkeys, squirrels, butterflies, and miniature elephants.
Long before cotton cloths were produced in Europe using equipment, the fabrics used in these enterprises were fashioned from local Indian cotton and were spun and woven by hand. The ancient Indian textiles have a linen-like texture, and there used to be a lot of misunderstanding between the terms cotton and linen.
The calico printer will be especially intrigued by the techniques used by the Indians to create these exquisite examples. Although many writers, including chemists, have made interesting and valuable contributions on the processes, there is no illustrated publication in existence, which combines the design itself with a description of the very complicated and laborious methods employed by the natives of India. Thus, only can one appreciate fully how much the print industry of the world is indebted to India.
George Percival and James Baker, brothers, founded the British textile business GP & J Baker in 1884. Along with their father, they travelled around Asia and the Far East collecting textiles, sketches, patterns, and thousands of pattern books. One of the world's greatest privately-owned textile archives was created after more than a century of meticulous gathering, and among this varied collection are numerous designs inspired by English chintzes and block prints from the eighteenth century. Today, the business is still renowned for its high-quality chintzes and upholstery textiles.
George P Baker, was a textile merchant and manufacturer, collector of fabrics from India and Persia, amateur botanist, mountaineer, oarsman, and amateur photographer. His research and expertise are evident throughout the book as he explores the origins, techniques, and cultural significance of Calico painting in the region during the specified time period.
The book provides detailed information about the techniques, materials, and tools used in Calico painting and printing. It examines the patterns, motifs, and designs commonly found in East Indies calico textiles.
In 1950, GP & J Baker offered the Victoria & Albert Museum a substantial donation of their collection of printed textiles. Many of the most notable early chintzes, which are now well-known worldwide, were included in the gift. Plate 19, which depicts the exquisite chintz gown currently listed as IS.18-1950 in the museum collection, as an example.
Edward Arnold, the publisher of the book, was a renowned London-based publishing house. Known for its commitment to producing high-quality books, Edward Arnold published works across various subjects, including history, literature, and art. The first edition of Calico Painting and Printing in the East Indies in the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries reflects the publisher's dedication to scholarly publications.
In summary, Calico Painting and Printing in the East Indies in the XVIIth and XVIIIth Centuries by Geo P Baker is an important scholarly work that explores the history, techniques, and cultural significance of Calico painting and printing in the East Indies. Published by Edward Arnold in 1921, the first edition of the book provides detailed information and valuable insights into this specific aspect of textile art history.
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