Kantha Embroidery Analysis

TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERY OF BENGAL

Bengal has an old tradition of Kantha embroidery. Kantha Embroidery of Bengal has enjoyed international repute for the fineness of the muslins woven in Dacca. With exquisite names like Running Water these were woven plain or patterned with thicker threads of white cotton providing opaque patterns on the fine ground. The jamdani again white on white, was woven by a brocading technique. The embroidery of Dacca followed the same process. The pallus and borders of Kantha sarees were finely embroidered with the same motifs of the cypress, leaf and stem used by the weaver. In addition to the white on white was the natural colour of wild silk thread to provide richness and a light and shade effect to the work. Silver-gilt

Motifs Used: Kantha designs are blend of religious and secular motifs. Gods and Goddesses, human beings, lions and tigers, trees, flowers, nut crackers, hoodahs, beds, chariots, palanquins all blend cheerfully with a host of other motifs in various permutations and combinations.

A special kind of kantha has for its inspiration a weave that has long been discontinued. It exists now only in the kantha. By reproducing the same pattern in each row on a circular or linear arrangement by flat running stitches, the Kantha embroiderer skillfully creates an impression of a woven material. This perpetuation of the Kantha design could perhaps be explained by the fact that the original design was woven by women and when, for some reason, it lost its popularity as a commercial commodity other women came forward to keep it alive though in a non-commercial garb.

Applique also appears on Bengal kanthas, though rarely. Thin strips of colored cloth are stitched with tiny invisible stitches to form various designs. In large pieces the designs are bold and well defined while on items of personal use they are proportionately small and finely