from an exhibition in the summer of 2023 at the Philadelphia Art Museum: A Century of Kanthas: Women’s Quilts in Bengal, 1870s – 1970s

 

 

Among the many things to miss about the Indian subcontinent  for a lifetime of not being there are the textiles created by her peoples.

 

These textiles recorded, ordered, reordered, enlarged, embraced, braced, sanctified, comforted and made comfortable the lives of the communities in which have lived – in peaceful and in tumultuous and killing times –  their dexterous and imaginative women creators.

 

 

Here are examples of embroidered quilts  of carpet weight called ‘galicha (carpet) kantha’.  They were collected in Bangladesh (former east Pakistan) in 1975 and later gifted to the Philadelphia Art Museum.

 

The names of the artist/artisans who made them are not known.

 

Galicha kanthas are distinct from the much older embroidered quilt form called nakshi (ornamented) kantha.

 

Both were (are) predominantly Bengali art and artisanal creations.

 

 

Nakshi (ornamented) kantha 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

A nakshi kantha ritual wrapper or cover with Krishna and Rhada surrounded by animals, birds and mythical aquatic creatures;

c. 1870s-1900. Undivided Bengal.

Plain weave with cotton embroidery in the following stitches: back, buttonhole, chain, darning, split, running, straight, and dot. 

Next to Rhada is the name of a woman with the designation: ‘servant/devotee of the god’ . Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Galicha (‘carpet’) kantha are embroidered quilts of carpet weight.

 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Galicha kantha with ring-neck parrots; c. 1960s; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch. 

Thought to have been made in east Pakistan (modern day Bangladesh).  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

The differences between nakshi and galicha kantha are these:

 

nakshi kantha, the original and much older form, were embroideries on layers of soft, white fabric repurposed from old cloth, usually saris.

 

The uses of nakshi kantha were both secular and ritual; both functional and symbolic.

 

Motifs in Hindu households were taken from religious and mythological iconography.  In Moslem households, geometric and floral motifs predominated.

 

As many as 20 stitch types were used in creating the ornamental designs of nakshi kantha.  Cross stitch was not among these until late.

 

The colour palate was generally soft. 

 

 

Galicha kanthas were produced in present-day Bangladesh (former east Pakistan) mostly after the partition of India in 1947. 

 

The patterns are generally vivid, bold, intricate, geometric forms.

 

Galicha kantha were all rectangular. 

 

The surface canvas was new.  It was backed by repurposed cloth. 

 

The stitch used – cross stitch – covered the entire surface of the canvas.  Only one other stitch was used: couching stitch to hold the two crossed stiches in place.

 

Galicha kanthas were generally used to cover low beds.  It is believed that their name -‘carpet’- came from the carpet needle which was used to puncture the thick cloth.

 

 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Galicha kantha, c. 1940-50; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch.

Thought to have been made in east Pakistan (modern day Bangladesh).  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

The museum notes that cross stitch has a history of thousands of years.  However, it is thought that cross stitch arrived in Bengal in the 1800s with British colonialism. 

 

The museum further notes that  the cross stitch of ‘Berlin work’ may have been an inspiration for galicha kanthas.

 

‘Berlin work’ is a technique using cross stitch which became a fad of British women in the 19th century:

canvas was entirely covered with cross stitch in bright geometric shapes as to be strong enough for use as furnishing, shoes and rugs.

 

Cross stitch, nevertheless, took decades to be adopted and adapted by Bengali embroiderers for their designs.

 

 

 

Galicha kantha, c. 1940-50; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch.

Made in northern Bangladesh.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Galicha kantha with deer and parrots; c. 1920s-’40s; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in cross-stitch which has not been couched (sewn down)

Thought to have been made in east Pakistan (modern day Bangladesh).  Private collection loan to the Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Galicha kantha; c. 1940-’50s; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in cross-stitch.

Made in northern Bangladesh.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Galicha kantha, c. 1940-50; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch.

Made in northern Bangladesh.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Galicha kantha, c. 1940-50; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch.

Made in northern Bangladesh.  Philadelphia Art Museum

 

 

 

 

Photo above is from the website of the Philadelphia Art Museum

Galicha kantha, c. 1940-50 with pinwheel pattern; cotton plain weave with cotton embroidery in couched cross-stitch.

Made in northern Bangladesh.  Philadelphia Art Museum