Near Eastern Painting - Nakshi Kantha - The Beautiful Art of Bangladesh
Nakshi Kantha - The Introduction Nakshi Kantha is a Bangladeshi and Bengali (Indian) Folk Art made of embroidered silk - a rural creative legacy, being passed down through generations.
Bangladesh, precisely Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur, and Jessore, is especially famous for this art.
The Concept The word 'Nakshi' has been derived from the Bengali word 'Naksha' meaning intricate patterns.
According to the writer Niaz Zaman the word 'Kantha' was derived from the Sanskrit word 'Kontha,' which means rags.
Kantha actually is made of rags.
A book called 'Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita,' written by Krishnadas Kaviraj, was probably the first book written about Kantha, some 500 years ago.
The Details oRaw Material - Initially, saris, lungis, and dhotis were used to make Kanthas.
Then, cotton cloth replaced them.
The thread was usually derived from old cotton cloth.
In effect, old cloth, thread, and creative competence were all the requirements here.
oThe Preparation - Kantha was made by joining 5 to 7 saris together and the layers were spread on the ground.
The cloth was smoothed to make it free from wrinkles and folds.
On the 4 corners of the cloth, weights were placed to keep the Kantha flat.
Then the four edges were stitched.
Now, the Kantha could be folded and embroidered at leisure.
Direct embroidery base or lock prints were used for design, which is now simply traced through a tracing paper.
If the Kantha have a main central design, the centre was done first and then the 4 corners.
Being women domain, it was not a full time job and took months and sometimes, even years to finish one Kantha.
oThe Kantha Stitches - The main and basic stitch of Nakshi Kantha is the running stitch, called Kantha.
Other stitches used are Chatai (pattern stitch), Kaitya (bending stitch), and thread running stitch.
The modern stitches used are Kashmiri stitch and arrowhead.
oKantha Designs - The religion and beliefs of the local folks of a particular region largely influence the designs of Nakshi Kantha.
Though there is no specific symmetry for a Kantha design, most of them have a central or focal point.
The designs may include leaves, flowers, birds, animals, and even toilet articles.
Some of the notable designs found in Nakshi Kanthas are that of lotus, sun, moon, wheel, Swastika, tree of life, and Kalka designs.
oKantha Colors - Initially, the Kantha works would have red, blue, and black embroidery on a white background.
Later however, yellow, green, pink, and other colors were also introduced.
oUse - In the beginning, Nakshi Kantha was demonstrated more as patchwork or appliqué work, which later graduated to adorn items of general use, such as quilts, wrappers, spreads, wallets, covers, mats, and handkerchiefs.
Traditionally, Kantha was used only for the use of the family, but today, because of its popularity, Nakshi Kantha is commercially available.
Bangladesh, precisely Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Faridpur, and Jessore, is especially famous for this art.
The Concept The word 'Nakshi' has been derived from the Bengali word 'Naksha' meaning intricate patterns.
According to the writer Niaz Zaman the word 'Kantha' was derived from the Sanskrit word 'Kontha,' which means rags.
Kantha actually is made of rags.
A book called 'Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita,' written by Krishnadas Kaviraj, was probably the first book written about Kantha, some 500 years ago.
The Details oRaw Material - Initially, saris, lungis, and dhotis were used to make Kanthas.
Then, cotton cloth replaced them.
The thread was usually derived from old cotton cloth.
In effect, old cloth, thread, and creative competence were all the requirements here.
oThe Preparation - Kantha was made by joining 5 to 7 saris together and the layers were spread on the ground.
The cloth was smoothed to make it free from wrinkles and folds.
On the 4 corners of the cloth, weights were placed to keep the Kantha flat.
Then the four edges were stitched.
Now, the Kantha could be folded and embroidered at leisure.
Direct embroidery base or lock prints were used for design, which is now simply traced through a tracing paper.
If the Kantha have a main central design, the centre was done first and then the 4 corners.
Being women domain, it was not a full time job and took months and sometimes, even years to finish one Kantha.
oThe Kantha Stitches - The main and basic stitch of Nakshi Kantha is the running stitch, called Kantha.
Other stitches used are Chatai (pattern stitch), Kaitya (bending stitch), and thread running stitch.
The modern stitches used are Kashmiri stitch and arrowhead.
oKantha Designs - The religion and beliefs of the local folks of a particular region largely influence the designs of Nakshi Kantha.
Though there is no specific symmetry for a Kantha design, most of them have a central or focal point.
The designs may include leaves, flowers, birds, animals, and even toilet articles.
Some of the notable designs found in Nakshi Kanthas are that of lotus, sun, moon, wheel, Swastika, tree of life, and Kalka designs.
oKantha Colors - Initially, the Kantha works would have red, blue, and black embroidery on a white background.
Later however, yellow, green, pink, and other colors were also introduced.
oUse - In the beginning, Nakshi Kantha was demonstrated more as patchwork or appliqué work, which later graduated to adorn items of general use, such as quilts, wrappers, spreads, wallets, covers, mats, and handkerchiefs.
Traditionally, Kantha was used only for the use of the family, but today, because of its popularity, Nakshi Kantha is commercially available.
