India Week with Brinda Gill - Katna’s Kantha: Preserving a Tradition and Transforming Lives
Kantha—the Bengali term for layered, hand-embroidered, quilted covers—has long been a craft practiced by women in the state of West Bengal, East India. Traditionally, these quilts were made from old saris, with each generation passing down the technique and motifs. Various regions of West Bengal feature distinct motifs and patterns on their kantha's.
The process of making a kantha involves layering well-worn fabrics and smoothing them out before beginning the quilting. The stitches are created with yarns taken from the same fabrics. The motifs and patterns, as well as the overall composition, reflect both traditional designs passed down through generations and the personal expressions of the women creating them, inspired by life around them. Quilting often takes place during women’s leisure hours, often in the company of other women, fostering a sense of community.
Kantha quilts are soft to the touch, visually striking, and deeply sentimental. Traditionally, they have been used to wrap babies, given as wedding gifts, worn by husbands as shawls, or presented to close family members as symbols of affection. In this way, kantha has always been a deeply personal textile...
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