LAPIS PRINTS.

The early nineteenth-century discovery of resist mordants allowed European calico printers to print madder figures framed perfectly within indigo grounds for the first time. Further development to include other resist pastes and dyes resulted in vibrant multicolored designs, often on bright blue grounds and bearing some resemblance to the semiprecious stone lapis lazuli. Known as lapis in France and neutral or lazulite in England, this revolutionary print style garnered many accolades and enjoyed enormous popularity over many decades yet is not well understood by today's quilt and textile historians. Through use of nineteenth-century dye recipe books and manuals, this research follows lapis printing from discovery to demise, primarily through the eyes of the calico printer. The technical aspects of lapis development and its evolution over time are explored, with a focus on lapis by resist mordants manufactured in England and France during the first half of the nineteenth century. The findings of this study broaden the current understanding of this print style, highlight its historical significance, and provide a framework for identification of lapis prints in quilts and other textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]