From the Ascetic to the Aesthetic: Tracing the Trajectory of the Kantha Embroidery of Bengal

Abstract

An indigenous embroidery of Bengal, kantha is an expression of the skilled artistry of Bengali women. It arose as a practice of layering old and worn-out clothes, which were stitched together, to create beautiful pieces of coverlets and quilts. Kantha, which arose from a thriftful necessity, has with time, undergone a transformation. Initially associated with minimalism and poverty, kantha in contemporary times represents a haute couture fashion commodity. The traditional kantha had forever been made for personal use and never meant for sale. However, the kantha in the present times has mutated and is now largely meant for sale in the market. This article attempts to trace the trajectory of kantha from its tattered form to its contemporary manifestation as a fashion apparel through various turns in history and claims that kantha has a social life and journey of its own. It posits that in each turn in the trajectory of kantha, it has been imbued with a specific kind of significance, the meaning of which is inscribed in its trajectory and social context in which it has been placed. In tracing this journey of kantha, the article also takes into account the role of various stakeholders, without whose efforts, the kantha would have been relegated to an artefact of the past. In tracing this trajectory of the kantha through various turns, the article also touches upon certain debates centring the gendering of the embroidery practice, art and craft dichotomy in relation to the kantha, as well as the issues associated with the commodification of the kantha.