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Del Mar - Solana Beach Rotary club – LobsterFest Silent Auction 2021
Auction Ends: Sep 18, 2021 07:30 PM PDT

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  • Kantha handmade traditional quilt from Bengal India
  • Kantha handmade traditional quilt from Bengal India

Kantha handmade traditional quilt from Bengal India

Item Number
163
Estimated Value
130 USD
Sold
155 USD to mkf7b036a
Number of Bids
14  -  Bid History

Item Description

Kantha is a form of embroidery often practiced by rural women in West Bengal, a state in the eastern part of India. It started as a method of making quilts. The traditional form of Kantha embroidery was done with soft worn out sarees and dhotis (worn by men in India), layered together and stitched into quilts with a simple running stitch along the edges. The old sarees are stacked on each other and hand-stitched to make this. These are normally used as light quilts, bedspreads/bedcovers or as throws.

These are mostly patterned as simple geometric designs, often straight lines in two or more colors. More complicated themes can include human beings, animals, flowers and mythological figures. It is also known as “dorukha” which mean the designs/motifs are equally visible in both sides, hence reversible. Each piece is as unique as the sarees they are made from, handmade with some irregularities which make them quirky.

This kantha was made by the women residing at A View.

A View, A Village for Independent and Enterprising Women, is an organization working towards the treatment and rehabilitation of women with mental illness leading to them becoming homeless. These women are rescued from the streets and brought into a rural communal living environment where they recover from their illness and learn to become a contributing part of society again. Many of these women already have the knowledge of KANTHA stitching which they had learned growing up.

For more information go to aviewforwomen.org