This Nakshi Kantha was crafted in Bengal during the late 19th century.
Kantha is a Bengali folk tradition of embroidering textiles using recycled cloth. This Kantha features a circus scene, which has been in many kanthas during the turn of the 20th century. In the late 19th century, international circus companies came to perform in Bengal and captured the public imagination. It has an off-center mandala with three reciprocal panels on top and bottom. The panels feature an elephant, a person on horseback, and what appears to be a ringleader dressed in red. It is framed by an alternating rosette and leaf border reminiscent of the classical egg and dart style. At the four corners of the border is a single rosette.
In very good condition with areas of staining and visible folk repair.
Size: 1'1" x 1'8" [33cm x 58cm]
Age: Late 19th Century
Country of Origin: Undivided Bengal
Type of Textile: Nakshi Kantha
Material: Cotton
Condition: Very good, areas of light discoloration
TX357
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