Thread by @ShefVaidya

#Thread Most Indian art has some underlying spiritual meaning, as every little thing in this world is perceived as a divine creation. Even the humble #Kantha, once the recycling craft of the women of Bengal and Odisha, was a way to communicate with the Divine.

Women stitched together old, much washed sarees and dhotis and turned them into the softest, warmest quilts after embroidering them with motifs drawn from their own lives, culture, religious beliefs and nature. #Kantha was the art of story-telling and the stitches were the words.

In his book on quilts of India, Patrick Finn quotes a Sanskrit proverb that uses quilting as a metaphor. ‘Slowly one stitches rags, slowly one traverses the path, and slowly one climbs to the top of the mountain’. Did you know that there are special deities in India for rags?

Chindhadeo and Chindhadevi are the God and Goddess of rags, and even today, have temples dedicated to them. Maharashtra even has a village called Chindhadevi! The craft of quilting is the divine connection between the fingers that stitch old rags together and the Gods.

Today, #Kantha embroidery has undergone a metamorphosis. It is no longer the exclusive craft of recyclers. It is now an art form.
This exquisite Kantha bedspread has jungle motifs, a design theme inspired by the diversity of the flora and fauna found in the forests of India.

This theme has been popular in India since the pre-historic cave paintings of Bhimbetka. It is often seen used in varied art and craft forms. In Banarasi weaves, it is referred to as shikargah, in the brocade weave of Kanchipuram, it is referred to as Vanasingharam.

In #Kantha, it is called Anand kanan, the forest of joy. This quilt is exceptional due to the richness of its theme, the number of motifs and the neat finishing. It was created over a period of six months, with several women artisans working on it. Bought it at the @GoCoop1 expo