Although the practice of coloring and patterning textiles has existed for thousands of years, the process of printing cotton with dyestuffs resistant to fading originated in India during antiquity. In the seventeenth century, vast quantities of printed Indian textiles (chintz) were imported into Europe for use in clothing and as furnishings. The popularity of these textiles inspired the development of domestic industries that imitated Indian designs and printing techniques. The meandering, polychrome floral design found on this French-made textile evokes contemporary Indian textile patterns. The use of mordants (chemical fixatives) was a dye method also brought from India to Europe in the seventeenth century.