Nakshi Kantha of West Bengal

Nakshi Kantha is a folk form of quilting old dhotis, sarees and other old clothes and embroidering them with coloured threads drawn from saree borders. The embroidered patterns depict elaborate and intricate floral, animal, human and other household motifs along with social and cultural scenes from Bengal in the 19 century.

Kanthas serve primarily as bed pallets and  as light wraps. Small kanthas are used as swaddling clothes for babies, depending on their size and use. Kantha embroidery uses the “dorukha” or double-faced character stitch. The embroidery appears on both faces of the kantha. The stitches are so skilfully applied that the details of each design appear in identical forms and colours on both sides, making it extremely difficult to distinguish the right face from the reverse.