Kantaha,research on the topic

Kantha 

Etymology

The word kantha has no discernable etymological root. The exact time of origin of the word kantha is not accurately known but it probably had a precursor in kheta (khet in Hindi and Bengali means "field").According to Niaz Zaman, the word kantha originated from the Sanskrit word kontha, which means rags, as kantha is made of rags.

Kantha Tradition

Like any other folk art, kantha making is influenenced by factors such as materials available, daily needs, climate, geography, and economic factors.^[11] Probably the earliest form of kantha was the patchwork kantha, and the kanthas of the decorative applique type evolved from this.

Kantha in Literature

The earliest mention of Bengal Kantha is found in the book "Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita" by Krishnadas Kaviraj, which was written some five hundred years ago.

Kantha Making

Traditionally old sarees, lungis and dhotis were used to make kanthas. Kantha making was not a full time job. Women in almost every household were expert in the art. Rural women worked at leisure time or during the lazy days of the rainy season, so taking months or even years to finish a kantha was normal. At least 5-7 sarees were needed to make a standard size kantha. Today the old materials are replaced by new cotton cloths. Traditionally the thread was collected from the old sarees. That is rarely done today.

When making a kantha, first the sarees are joined together to attain the required size, and then layers are spread out on the ground. The cloths are then smoothed, leaving no folds or creases in between. During the process, the cloth is kept flat on the ground with weights on the edges. Then the four edges are stitched and two or three rows of large running stitches are done to keep the kantha together. At this stage, the kantha can be folded and stitched at leisure time.

Originally, designs and motifs were not drawn on the cloth. The design was first outlined with needle and thread, followed by focal points, and then the filling motifs were done. In a kantha with a predominant central motif the centre was done first, followed by corner designs and the other details. In some types of kanthas (carpet, lik and sujni, etc.) wooden blocks were used to print the outline. The blocks are replaced today by patterns drawn in tracing papers.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakshi_Kantha

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some links here.......................

Handicrafts,India,SouthAsia,SouthEast Asia,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Maldives,Nepal,Pakistan,Sri Lanka
Aresearsh paper on sociological context of Bangal Kantha

stitching-stories-kantha-quilts-at-the-philadelphia-museum-of-art/

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