From Humble Beginnings to High Fashion (A Brief Story of Kantha Embroidery)
“To fathom the beliefs and myths which the village women create in each kantha is to understand their hopes and fears.” — Mohammed Sayeedur Rahman
Kantha embroidery is a textile art form that rural Bengali women have been practicing for more than 500 years, though evidence of its existence dates back to 3,000 years.
Between household chores they came together to create magic from worn-out cloth — traditionally saris — breathing new life into them. It is a skill passed down from mother to daughter.
The women portrayed scenes and objects from daily life, folklore, mythology and religion. They created using a simple running stitch. Yarn stitches fill the empty space between the motifs.
As depicted in the piece below, traditional designs had an image of the sun, a flower, or a “charkha” — spinning wheel — in the center. These are known as “Nakshi” (to illustrate, or map) kantha.
Traditional nakshi kantha wall art with spinning wheel motif at center
The women layered and folded old cotton saris, stitching the edges to hold them together. This layered “quilt” became the joint canvas on which they embroidered motifs, or simple rows of running stitches — or both, whatever suited their fancy at the time.
It was their mode of self-expression, their outlet for expressing their joys, fears, sorrows, hopes, and aspirations.
The masterpieces they created were mainly for personal use: a wrap to swaddle a baby, a quilt to keep the family warm, a rug to welcome a special guest, a bed covering, altar cloth, wall art, and more.
A pile of kantha quilts
The word kantha is used to describe both the stitch and the finished product.
The art form has risen and fallen with the fate of the women as they were impoverished by war, imperialism, invasion, and political upheaval. Several attempts at revival have taken kantha from a cottage industry to a commercial endeavor.
Kantha Embroidery Today — A Story of Women’s Empowerment
Thanks to its commercialization today, many more women practice kantha and earn a livelihood from it. Well-known fashion designers globally build it into their designs. Contemporary designs are geometric, rather than based on historical motifs. Silk is now widely used as a canvas. Products are varied: scarves, shawls, jackets made from vintage quilts and new cloth, and more.
So yes, a lot has changed. Women don’t necessarily create for themselves anymore. Perhaps they’ve lost their opportunity for self-expression? But they earn a living from their art. That is positive change. And it is coveted home-based work.
This humble art is still created today in small, unassuming village homes, by women who spend days, weeks, and even months on a single piece.
A kantha silk sari scarf / shawl — Image credit: House of Wandering Silk, New Delhi
Nakshi Kantha robe from my collection — Image credit: House of Wandering Silk
Square scarf using both modern and traditional designs — from my collection, recently sold
Nakshi kantha scarf from my collection, recently sold