KANTHAS

As luck would have it, my trip to the Crafts Museum in Delhi, co-incided with an exhibition of kantha textiles from Murshidabad, West Bengal.  I had never heard of kanthas before, but it soon became clear that they were a form of quilt.

Traditional kanthas were made from layers of old saris (though I think other cloth could also be used), which were stitched together using very elaborate stitching.

As with quilts, this process extended the life of the textile beyond its normal life cycle.

The kanthas, again like quilts, could then be used for bedding.

Interestingly (and unlike a quilt), the threads used to stitch the kanths, usually came from the sari being used.

In addition to being used as bedding, the kanthas were also used to cover precious objects, to wrap both babies and the dead as well as during rituals and weddings.  Brides also receive a kantha, worked by her mother, as a present.

 These days, kanthas are also made using new fabrics, to gain an income.

 Many of these kanthas could be mistaken for a western traditional quilt.

 Most of them looked as though they were made from cotton.

Rather sadly, the kanthas were hung quite badly, as you can see from the example below, stretched in points along the tops and sides.   They won't last too long like that.

The heavy stitching on the kanthas made them very appealing to me.  Apparently women can wotk on them anything from a month to a year.

Some women work alone, but others prefer to work in a group setting, rather like a quilt group, where they can settle down to a good gossip as they work.

 I felt really lucky to have caught this exhibition.