Antique "Kantha" (Embroidered Cotton 'Blanket', ) India, c. 1910

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Antique "Kantha" (Embroidered Cotton 'Blanket', ) India, c. 1910

About the Item

A fabulous textile with vibrant visual appeal, a Kinetic composition with great movement imparted through a combination of factors including the manipulation of the technique (offsetting the lines of embroidery creates movement to the eye) and the design which off center without being contrived. The pattern literally flows across the surface of this extremely supple and soft textile. Originally conceived to have been a baby blanket, one immediately understands why when running one’s hand across the surface. The soft, caressing surface of cotton is extremely soothing to the skin, and it is no wonder that the Bengal people favored such materials for this purpose. There is a book on these cloths of a collection in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The primary examples of this collection are pictorial depicting British soldiers, animals of various types (elephants, cows) and people, all very crudely drawn and, for me, not nearly as satisfying as the art of this example. The appearance of ‘animals’ is continued here, but they are different, flying bugs, butterflies, birds and a snake. Somehow I much prefer this type of art to the heralded examples in collections throughout the world and in this museum. But it is not unusual for me to gravitate towards a totally different aesthetic than what normally is collected, ie. the aversion to pictorial designs seen in Tibetan rugs as opposed to the simpler medallion forms reminiscent of a pan Asian aesthetic. This ‘kantha’ is composed of cotton with cotton embroidery. The condition is good, there is one small ‘patch’ (see the detail photo that is labeled as such) and even that patch is not out of context with what these textiles are, which is often an amalgamation of left over materials sewn together to make an whole. .

Dimensions:
Height: 61 in (154.94 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
Style:
Tribal (Of the Period)
Place of Origin:
India
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1900-1920
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. This item was made in the earliest part of the 20th century, approx. 100 years ago, therefore it is not in "new condition".
Seller Location:
By Appointment Only, CA
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU167224227533