Kantha stitch is Bengal’s own embroidery craft and probably the oldest of all, on both sides of the border, in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. “Kantha” is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Kantha” meaning rags. True to the origin of its name, kantha was initially made from rags or old pieces of cloth stitched together using running stitches to make blankets, throws, spreads and the like by rural women, especially mothers and grandmothers. Thus originated the ‘lep kantha’ of Bengal. The womenfolk, deprived of formal education, also used the canvas of the kantha as a form of journal to express their day to day experiences, mythological stories or folk tales they heard since their childhood. This is best seen in the “Manadasundari Kantha” kept at Gurusaday Museum, Kolkata. With the advent of the British, this needlecraft of Bengal started being commercialized. The kantha motifs also gradually yielded to popular designs while still trying to capture the essence of rural Bengal. Thus, lotus motifs signifying the seat of the Goddess, Paisley or “kalka” representing the flora of the region, Tree of Life, Peacocks etc. dominated the canvas of the kantha which was now done on silk and cotton sarees, stoles, shirts and throws. Thus emerged the “Sujni Kantha” of Bengal.

Kantha stitch has a highly labor based, intensive multi-stage production. The stages include raw material procurement, which can be anything from pieces of old sarees to silk and cotton fabric. Next comes the designing and embroidery part. Initially, the outline of the design was one free hand using neutral colored threads and then re-done with other colored threads. This gave the kantha a wrinkled three-dimensional effect. However, with the commercialization of the kantha industry, motifs are now traced out and then embroidered. While the embroidery is being done, which can take several months, it is important to preserve the material from damps and pests. Once its completed, the pieces are washed, ironed and polished to give it a shine.

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