Kantha Stitch Work on Pure Bangalore Silk Saree

Product Description

We are Supplying Kantha Stitch Work on Pure Bangalore Silk Saree in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Kantha is one of the oldest forms of embroidery that originated in India. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient pre Vedic ages, however, Kantha embroidery as we know it today was found in Krishnadas Kaviraj's 500 year old book, Chaitanya Charitamrita. Motifs found in early Kantha embroidery include many symbols that were derived from ancient art. These symbols depict or are reflective of nature, such as the sun, the tree of life and the the universe. It was not until later that Kantha embroidery was used as a medium of cultural and religious significance, which came about as a result of Hinduism's influence and was used in ceremonies and pujas, including to celebrate weddings and births. Rural housewives in West Bengal played a significant part in the evolution of Kantha embroidery. It was customary for these women to make use of Kantha's widely used running stitch and embroidery techniques to create quilts for their families, as well as embroider personal fabrics and garments such as sarees, dhotis and handkerchiefs with simple running stitches along the edges. For centuries, the techniques of the hereditary craft were, and still are, passed down from mother to daughter. Though it continued to be practised amongst rural women, recognition of the craft faded over time, until it was revived on a global scale in the 1940s by the renowned Kala Bhavana Institute of Fine Arts, which part of the Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, West Bengal.