Chapel Arts
TALK Kantha Quilts of Bengal
This Event Takes Place @ Chapel Arts, Cheltenham (Chapel Arts, Knapp Road (Near St. James Square), Cheltenham. GL50 3QQ)
Kantha refers to an embroidered and quilted cotton cover made up of layers of used dhotis or saris. Famous for their beauty and fine stitchery they illustrate the whole of life in rural and urban Bengal from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Their appeal is found in the individuality and often the humour of each piece, reflecting the sometimes quirky outlook of a Bengali housewife and mother and her wry amusement at her society.
A kantha is often stitched as a wedding present for a daughter as a token of love, or as a gift for a new-born child or grown-up son.
John Gillow’s talk will introduce you to one of India’s finest textile traditions.