In the 18th and 19th centuries, calico referred to a cotton cloth that could be dyed or printed, with either a plain color or a design, and often with a large overall design, unlike calico as we know it today. Calicoes were first imported from India, then Great Britain. By the late-18th century factories for printing calico could be found in America. An inked wooden block such as the one pictured here would be repeatedly stamped on the cloth to create the design.