Longcloth Explained

Longcloth (or long cloth) refers to a plain cotton cloth originally made in comparatively long pieces.

The name was applied particularly to cloth made in India. The long cloth made at Coromandel Coast was of the length of 37 yards.[1] [2] Longcloth, which is now commonly bleached, includes several various qualities. It is heavier than cambric, and finer than medium or Mexican. In the early 1900s, as it was used principally for underclothing and shirts, most of the longcloth sold in Great Britain passed through the shirt and underclothing manufacturers' hands who sold it to the shopkeepers. However, there was still considerable if decreasing retail trade-in piece-goods. In the UK in the early 20th century, the lower kinds of longcloth, which were made from American cotton, corresponded in quality to the better kinds of shirting made for the East, but the best longcloths were made from Egyptian cotton and were fine and fairly costly goods.

Nowadays, longcloth designates a cotton fabric which is of high quality, very soft, coarsely woven, and very often used to make underwear, loincloths and infants' clothing.[3] [4]

Ghati

Ghati was a cloth with a highly glazed surface, refined in texture and strong in strength. It was a particular type of cotton fabric. It was a premium quality long cloth and hence expensive too. Ghati was a lighter (in texture) than the Sussi.[5] The material was affordable to wealthy persons only, also called ''ghatti''. Rahon, a town in the district Jalandhar of Punjab, India, had an excellent reputation for this variety. Its production ceased by the close of the nineteenth century.[6] [7] [8]

Patterns and use

Before English clothes emerged in Punjab, Ghati was used for sheets, shirts, pajamas and angarkha.[9] Then Ghati was available in plain white and also in various patterns of damascene, flowered and ''Chashma-e-Bulbul'' meaning "Nightingale's eye"[10]

Latha

Longcloth was also termed as [11] Latha was preferred for Kashmiri artwork, i.e., Amli work with silk threads.[12] Latha was also used in certain dresses.[13]

Pauni

Pauni was another coarse variety of cotton cloth from the Punjab region. It was one-third of the length of the Longcloth.

See also

References

Attribution

Notes and References

  1. Book: Peck, Amelia. Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500-1800. 2013. Metropolitan Museum of Art. 978-1-58839-496-5. 305. en.
  2. Book: Rømer. Ludvig Ferdinand. A Reliable Account of the Coast of Guinea (1760). Mer. Ludewig Ferdinand R.. 2000. British Academy. 978-0-19-726218-4. 266. en.
  3. Web site: LONGCLOTH - Definition and synonyms of longcloth in the English dictionary. 2020-10-21. educalingo.com. en.
  4. Web site: Canada Canvas Photo Prints, Custom Made Picture Frames & Plaque Mounts, Face Mounting Prints On PlexiGlass. 2020-10-21. www.canadaoncanvas.com.
  5. Book: Watt. George Sir. Indian Art at Delhi, 1903; being the Official Catalogue of the Delhi Exhibition, 1902-1903. Brown. Percy (Illus). 1903. Superintendent of Government Printing (Calcutta). 522.
  6. Book: Mukhopādhyāẏa, Trailokyanātha. Art-manufactures of India: Specially Compiled for the Glasgow International Exhibition, 1888. 1888. Superintendent of Government Printing. 322, 317, 354. en.
  7. Book: Punjab (India). Punjab District Gazetteers: Nawashahr. 2006. Controller of Print. and Stationery. 137. en.
  8. Book: Official Report of the Calcutta International Exhibition, 1883-84: Compiled Under the Orders of the Executive Committee. 1885. Bengal Secretariat Press. 415, 417. en.
  9. Book: Baden-Powell, Baden Henry. Hand-book of the Manufactures & Arts of the Punjab: With a Combined Glossary & Index of Vernacular Trades & Technical Terms ... Forming Vol. Ii to the "Hand-book of the Economic Products of the Punjab" Prepared Under the Orders of Government. 1872. Punjab printing Company. 21, 16. en.
  10. Book: Mukharji, Trailokya Nath. Art manufactures of India. 1888. Calcutta: Government printing. Harold B. Lee Library. 322.
  11. Book: Nanda, Reena. From Quetta to Delhi: A Partition Story. 2018-02-10. Bloomsbury Publishing. 978-93-86643-44-5. en.
  12. Book: Kashmir. 1952. 258. en.
  13. ''Men ' s dress - Tribesmen normally wear very simple dress which is usually made of coarse cloth or latha cloth .''

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