Wasarasa Calico with Chinese style flower print

Printed calico originated from India, where cotton was first cultivated around the time of the Indus civilization (2600 BC – 1800BC), and where cotton-dyeing techniques were advanced. Trading of patterned cloth with a rich striking red spread with the dawn of the Age of Discovery, as Europeans advanced into Africa, Asia and America from the middle of the 15th century. At that time, cotton was unknown in Europe and Japan. People were thus fascinated by the exotic vibrant motifs of the calico and its strength despite being light and flexible. In Edo period in Japan, the calico was prized by the Daimyo class, by arbiters of taste, and by sophisticated townspeople.