Artifact: Printed Calico Quilt Center
Materials: Calico
Dimensions: 27 5/8 x 29 1/2 in. (70.2 x 74.9 cm)
Date: ca. 1790
Origin: Philadelphia, PA
Collection: Metropolitan Museum of Art
License: OASC
Ledger Entry: Calico
Department: Textile
Customer: Mrs. Sarah Wigginton
Ledger Page: 19
Imported From: Though advancements in textile technology allowed British and American tradesmen to produce calico after 1774, any calico sold in the 1750s would have been imported from India.
Product Description
Calico refers to a linen-like cloth made of cotton. The name calico comes from the city Calicut in India where calico was first produced. It was used for clothing, handkerchiefs, quilts, and drapery.
Citation: Florence M. Montgomery. Textiles in America, 1650-1870 : a Dictionary Based on Original Documents : Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopkeepers' Advertisements, and Pattern Books with Original Swatches of Cloth. (New York :Norton, 1984), 184-185.;
Historical Price: 3 shillings, 6 pence per yard; Modern USD: $39.2
Product Variations
The databases record seven sales of calico. Many of them are not identified by qualifiers, but three of them are labeled as calicoes No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 indicating that there were different types of calico for sale. The prices range from three shillings to seven shillings six pence per yard.
