University of Washington Press Making Kantha, Making Home - University of Washington Press

Discover the deep connection between textile art and social history in Making Kantha, Making Home. This book explores how Bengali women used kantha to shape their domestic worlds during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These textiles, created from layers of soft, recycled fabric and held together by running stitches, served many purposes in the home. They were used as shawls, bedding, and seating mats, often passed down through generations to become family heirlooms. In this study, Pika Ghosh examines the social worlds shaped by these objects. It stands as the first study of colonial-period women's embroidery to place these textiles within a historical and social context. By looking at both the technique and the aesthetic choices made by the creators, the book provides a look at how these handmade items functioned in Bengal. This work is an essential read for those interested in the history of South Asian textiles, women's labor, and the cultural significance of recycled fabric art.