Kantha

Kantha Embroidery; Ancient Beauty | Nakshi Kantha Embroidery

One of India’s oldest forms of embroidery and a craft practiced by millions of South Asian women today, Kantha came from humble beginnings

One of India’s oldest forms of embroidery and a craft practiced by millions of South Asian women today, Kantha came from humble beginnings. It originated in rural Bengal villages; this art form disappeared in the early 19th century and was revived in the 1940s by the famous Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath and her Tagore daughter-in-law. Embroidery Digitizing

The word Kantha has no specific etymology but is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word konta, which means rag. One of the ancient forms of embroidery originating from India, its origins can be traced to pre-Vedic times (before 1500 BC), although the earliest records are found 500 years before him. In a book titled Shri Her Sri Her Chaitanya Her Charitamrita, the poet Krishnadas Her Kaviraj wrote how Chaitanya’s mother sent a handmade  to her son in Puri via a pilgrim. I’m here. The same Kanta is on display today at Gambira in Puri.

In modern usage, Kantha generally refers to the type of stitch used. The earliest basic Kantha stitch is the simple straight stitch used in Kantha saree scarves.

Over time, more elaborate patterns were developed and became known as ‘Naksi Kantha.’ Nakshi is derived from the Bengali word naksha and refers to an artistic pattern. Naksi Kantha consists of motifs influenced by religion, culture, and the lives of women who sew. Advertising Material

Kantha Shawl

This most understated shawl gave free rein to women’s imaginations. Qantas spoke of folk beliefs and practices, religious ideas, themes and characters of myths and epics, and artisans’ social and personal lives. Their dreams, hopes, and daily village life.

Although there is no strict symmetry in Nakshi, beautiful works usually have the lotus as the focal point, with scenes of stylized birds, plants, fish, flowers, and others. Working with a cooperative of 1,400  artisans in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India, women focus on a special form of geometrically patterned Kantha called Patra.

This has evolved along the lines of traditional Islamic art, which focuses on geometric patterns rather than the life forms discouraged by the Quran.

The beauty of this Kantha is that the front side is a complex geometric pattern, while the back side of the fabric is shaped by looping the thread on only one side, leaving a simple Kantha with straight running stitches. It is to be done.

Over time, more elaborate patterns were developed and became known as ‘Naksi Kantha.’ Nakshi is derived from the Bengali word naksha and refers to an artistic pattern. Naksi Kantha consists of motifs influenced by religion, culture, and the lives of women who sew.

This most understated shawl gave free rein to women’s imaginations. Qantas spoke of folk beliefs and practices, religious ideas, themes and characters of myths and epics, and artisans’ social and personal lives.

Their dreams, hopes, and daily village life. Although there is no strict symmetry in Nakshi , beautiful works usually have the lotus as the focal point, with scenes of stylized birds, plants, fish, flowers, and others. Working with a cooperative of 1,400 Kantha artisans in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India, women focus on a special form of geometrically patterned Kantha called Patra.

This has evolved along the lines of traditional Islamic art, which focuses on geometric patterns rather than the life forms discouraged by the Quran.

The beauty of this Kantha

is that the front side is a complex geometric pattern, while the back side of the fabric is shaped by looping the thread on only one side, leaving a simple with straight running stitches. It is to be done.

Traveling through Bengal today, you can find a modern version of the traditional patchwork Kantha quilt.

Let it wind in the sun on your balcony in Calcutta, or spread it out in the rice fields of your village to dry. However, most of  production is made for commercial consumption, both in India and Bangladesh’s domestic and export markets.

In theory

this is a good thing. Rural women in Bengal are unable to find work outside their homes due to economic, cultural, social, and religious factors, but there is currently a high demand to produce sufficient quantities of Kantha for this market. I have.

Kantha artisans suffer from the same exploitation as their brothers and sisters, who work in nearly every craft in the region. Vector Digitizing

 

Kantha Embroidery

One of India’s oldest forms of embroidery and a craft practiced by millions of South Asian women today, Kantha came from humble beginnings.

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