‏ Detail of a banyan or robe

Trade textiles like chintz and palampores were produced in Northwestern and Southeastern part of India (formerly Coromandel Coast) for the European market particularly from the 17th century to 19th century and were used as wall hangings, bed covers, coverlets and clothing. Kalamkari (penwork - dyes are applied with hand using a bamboo pen or with a block) was one of the techniques which was used by artisans to achieve layers of colors and patterns. With white cotton cloth as the base, botanical motifs on palampores are dyed in reds, blues, yellows and greens. Iran was one of the ports through which cloth that was exported from India would travel to Europe.

Chintz robes, also referred to as banyans, were derived from an Asian silhouette and were commonly worn by men in Europe. Popularized as a fashionable dress around the mid 17th century, banyan (loose fitted shirt in Hindi) was painted with vairities of blossom, bush and leaf patterns.