Kantha Reinvented

ANTERLEENA MAITI MENTOR: MS. SREENANDA PALIT ASSOC. PROF. & CC-FC DEPARTMENT OF FASHION COMMUNICATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY, KOLKATA

GRADUATION PROJECT UPGRADING THE SKILLS AND TRAINING IN TRADITIONAL ARTS/ CRAFTS FOR DEVELOPMENT (USTTAD), MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS, GOVT. OF INDIA

KANTHA: REINV ENT-

ACKNOWL EDGE

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my mentor Ms. Sreenanda Palit, Mr. Souvik Bose, Mr. Chhandak Pradhan and Mr. Jit Ray, who gave me endless support and inspiration to do this wonderful project on the topic,

KANTHA: REINVENTED This project was a dream, it helped me in doing a lot of primary research and I came to know about a lot of new things. Secondly I would also like to thank the artisans, my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame. I owe its successful completion to everybody involved with me to do it.

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INTRODUCTION: Brief description of the entire Graduation Project

COMPANY: Details of the organisation where the Project happened

DIAGNOSTICS: First Project undertaken as a part of USTTAD

WORKSHOP : Artisan interaction, mapping and documentation of craft

INSIGNIA: Detailed development of the authentication mark

DICTIONARY: Quirky handbook of Kantha containing interesting facts

INSTALLATION: Photography of Artisans and converting it into Kantha

CONCLUSION: Learnings from the Project and carrying it forward

REFERENCE: Details of all the sources for all kinds of help

CONTENT

INTROD UCT ION

KANTHA REINVENTED | ONE

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched a programme: ‘Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development’ (USTTAD), which aims to preserve the heritage of traditional arts and crafts of minorities. It believes in capacity building and enhancing the skills of artisans. The programme aids the development of craft, improve their livelihood, and boost the confidence of artisans to continue their age-old traditions. Being in Bengal, our craft was KANTHA. During the span of 4 months, my interaction with the artisans helped me document their lifestyle, factor conditions,

important milestones and design phenomena. As a part of my project, I have actualized an insignia to establish the authenticity of traditional Kantha. Apart from this I have developed, ‘Kantha Dictionary’- which is a quirky handbook containing interesting facts about Kantha (colloquial names of motifs, colours, stiches). Also I have used my presentation skills to combine the craft and hand illustrations to create an installation, as an ode to the perseverance to the craftswomen. I believe, this project has given me the opportunity to synergize all my capabilities, be it Photography, Graphic Design, System Analysis or Brand Management.

ABOUT NIFT

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Through this initiative, NIFT has been successful in creating a widespread awareness and sensitivity in merging crafts with fashion.

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) came into being in 1986, with a vision to fulfill a growing need for professionals specialized in the field of fashion. Since its inception under the Ministry of Textiles, it has emerged as a prominent leader in the field of professional fashion education, deftly combining design with management and technology. NIFT has played a pioneering role in contributing to various craft segments of the country like textile, apparel, lifestyle accessories and leather. The Craft Cluster Initiative of the is carefully designed with the intention to involve NIFT’s professional capabilities in the areas of design, technology, marketing and management for developing the craft sector.

CRAFT VENTURE

The initiative has provided a boost to the craft sector and has been able to foster a meaningful dialogue between the youth, industry and consumer.

The primary thought behind being a part of the USTTAD project was to work with various crafts of Bengal.

I had got an extremely amazing opportunity to involve myself in the Kantha Project, USTTAD, MInistry of Minority Affairs. The span of 4 months gave me the chnce to interact with Muslim women artisans of Nanoor and Barasat cluster. Through this project, I not only helped the artisans but also have deviced plans to benefit all other stakeholders of this great initiative. It has been a meaningful enterprise which allowed me to use all the skills (Photography, Graphic Design and System Analysis) that I have developed through the years in the department of Fashion Communicataion at NIFT, Kolkata.

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About USTTAD..................................................................

The INITIATIVE..................................................................

Project MENTOR...............................................................

Work FLOW.......................................................................

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COMPANY

ABOUT USTTAD

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NIFT’s professional capabilities in the areas of design, marketing, technology and management have been involved to synergize all activities related to the USTTAD project by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched a new scheme ‘Upgrading The Skills And Training In Traditional Arts/ Crafts For Development’ (USTTAD), which inter-alia, aims to preserve heritage of traditional arts and crafts of minorities and build capacity of traditional crafts persons and artisans.

‘USTTAD’ aims at capacity building and updating the traditional skills of master crafts persons and artisans.

These trained master crafts persons/ artisans will in turn train the minority youth in various traditional arts/ crafts. The Ministry of Minority Affairs will take up this skill development program for all traditional arts/crafts being practiced by minority communities, for their development.

THE INITIATIVE Their congeniality, cordiality and amicability made the process easy to document, while staying true to the preservence of the craftswomen and their sentiments towards their work. This is an ode to their hand work and hardships.

The project in turn will aid the development of craft and improve the livelihood by increasing trade of Handlooms and Handicrafts.

It will further give a big boost to the moral and confidence of the crafts persons and artisans from minority communities for producing quality fabrics and continuing their age-old traditions as a part of the culture and heritage of our country. Subsequently, it would take the handloom and handicrafts industry to greater heights. The govt. of India has undoubtedly embarked on this very noble craft initiative which is definitely going to benefit the artisans and increase manifolds in the years to come, in the Kantha cluster of Bengal as well as the other clusters of India.

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PROJECT MENTOR

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Not many design enthusiast, especially students would opt for working with crafts.

It was gratifying to have such a talented student to be part of the team. It was a surprise for me to find Anterleena showing keen interest in using her communication skills and design aesthetics to improve the life of artisans.

Her self-proposed Graduating Project in Craft under my mentorship culminated into her inclusion in the USTTAD project which has been entrusted to the NIFT Kolkata by MSME, Govt. of India. The area of her focus is Bengal’s stitched story- Kantha. Anterleena’s take on the needle craft includes re-branding the traditional craft and providing communication design solutions to the scores of Kantha artisans she researched on in Barasat and Bolpur, while being part of the Diagnostic Study and Workshop for USTTAD. While most of the students chose their area of interest and focused their project on the same, her projects included all thrust areas of the FC course including photography, writing, graphic design, packaging design, visual merchandising and publication design.

WORK FLOW The methodology that was followed for the smooth execution of the project consisted of organisation. At first secondary research was done, which included going through several books, magazines and journals about traditional old Kantha.

Next was primary research at Nanoor and Barasat.

Interaction with the artisans made it more clear about the current scenario. The basis of the project was rigorous planning and organisation within the team.

All work were pre planned and none of the work overlapped with the other.

This book is a result of combined efforts of USTTAAD- NIFT Kolkata team and the craftswomen of Barasat and Bolpur.

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DIAGN OST

The SUMMARY...................................................................

About PLACE......................................................................

Cluster PROFILE...............................................................

Factor CONDITION.........................................................

The HISTORY......................................................................

Craft PROCESS................................................................

Design PHENOMENA......................................................

Current SCENARIO.........................................................

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KANTHA REINVENTED | THREE

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Artisans making Kantha borders at the Workshop.

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Artisans making Kantha borders at the Workshop.

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Sourcing threads for the Workshop at Bolpur.

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Artisans attending session for Workshop.

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The area where the Workshop took place.

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Artisans making Kantha borders at the Workshop.

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the summary 19

Kantha has now become a mass market demand and slowly lost its personalised niche splendour.

Traditionally Kantha was done on discarded and old sarees, drawing the threads for embroidery from the colourful saree borders. It is an embodiment of recycled craft that has been passed on as a tradition. The craft is self-sustaining as they make use of mostly the natural light. No machines or electricity is involved in the process. The method of Kantha or quilting is also a way of upcycling fabrics, and there is almost zero wastage of raw materials. Even defective pieces are patched on or modified with placement designs to create a new piece.

One of the main favorable factors is that the next generation in most families of artisans are getting basic formal education which is making them knowledgeable about the current scenario. Another factor is that the craft does not need any expensive equipment or special arrangement. It can be done in a very informal way and can be a way of mingling and interacting with each other as a society. Artisans are influenced by works of several designers or organisations. They are also influenced by each other.

If there is a new design in the market, it is interpreted across different artisan groups next season. One example is applique of multicolor Kantha patches in a checkered form; quite in rage among all artisans at the moment. They are also inspired by their surroundings. One artisan showed how she has drawn and embroidered a local village market scene in Kantha. Also since the ma jority of artisans are Muslim, they interpret religious motifs or even the Ta j Mahal in Kantha.

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ABOUT place

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Nanoor was a pure example of picturesque Indian village with its greens and its people, on the other hand Kadambagachi is more of a small town, which is gradually changing its village-like characteristics to adopt the essences from the neighbouring metro city.

The study was undertaken in two different geographical locations of the state of West Bengal. The first cluster location was in Kadambagachi, which is situated in the Barasat subdivision of the district of North 24 Parganas. The other clusters are located in the village of Nanoor in the district of Birbhum, which was in the mid-western part of the state of West Bengal.

Kadambagachi was closer to the city of Kolkata in comparison to the Nanoor cluster, which is 300 kms away from the capital of the state.

cluster profile The identified artisans and craft cluster:

Kadambagachi Village: Agortor Village:

Dist: 24 Parganas (N), Sub-division Barasat, West Bengal Dist: Birbhum, Cluster- Nanoor West Bengal In each of the clusters the team has identified one master craftsmen and 14 highly skilled artisans for the workshop. The master craftswomen identified were:

Agortor Village:

Kadambagachi Village:

Afrunessa Begum Ta jquira Begum Lavali Bibi Kona Mondal

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factor condi

Demography...........................................

Linkages & Trade...........................................

Economy...........................................

Associations...........................................

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DEMOGRAPHY We had two different perspectives as per our study in two different clusters/districts of West Bengal which are as follows:

BARASAT:

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The entire artisan’s family is wholly dependent on the craft and connected to the same in several ways. The men folk are involved mostly in getting orders from mass retailers at Burra Bazar and Park Street from Kolkata.

They are also involved in drawing the design and tracing the design on the fabric. Women here do not know how to make the design or to trace them. In this cluster the women artisans only do the embroidery.

BIRBHUM:

The craft is women dominated. They do their own design mostly and also have the knowhow of tracing it on the fabric. Their work is exquisite and for generations these women have been doing Sujni Kantha which is very different from the present commercial Kantha.

The men folk are mostly involved with agricultural work. Some have recently joined hands with the women artisans in drawing design or helping them with labor oriented work that is involved in the craft process.

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Lifestylle of he artisans staying at Nanoor.

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Lifestylle of he artisans staying at Nanoor.

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House of an artisan at Nanoor.

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Living condition of artisans staying at Nanoor.

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Living condition of artisans staying at Nanoor.

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Lifestylle of he artisans staying at Nanoor.

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LINKAGES & TRADE

Trade and Business Associates Several non government organizations like SASHA, Weavers Studio, Craft Council of West Bengal etc. have been working with the Kantha craft artisans for their products and providing employment to many artisan groups.

Also Establishments like BanglaNatok.com are providing organizational support to groups of artisans and introducing them to both national and international market & clients. Government Training Centre Government bodies like The Weavers’ Service Centre, Office of the DCHC (Development Commissioner of Handloom and Handicrafts) have conducted several workshops and training programmes for the Kantha artisans in and around the city of Kolkata to make them self-sufficient. SGSY(Swarojgar Swarna Jayanti) sch emes have sponsored several training programmes for artisan. KUSP (Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor) and SUDA (State Urban Development Agency) has also extended their help.

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ECONOMY

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In all the cases the raw material is provided by the distributor of work.

Sometimes they buy embroidery thread on credit. Mainly all the capital is provided by the middlemen or the master artisans.

The economy of the two areas of survey are poles apart. They are extremely contrasting to each other in term of their economic characteristics.

Kadambagachi, being close to the city of Kolkata, has its diversified occupation base.

Whereas Nanoor still holds agriculture as its primary occupation. In both the areas the female counterparts earn for their family. For the female members of both the specified areas, Kantha craft is the main source of income.

In case of Kadambagachi, the male members of the family are also associated to this craft in some ways or the other.

ASSOCIATIONS

In West Bengal, GIFT (Global Institutes of Fashion Technology), INIFD and the likes have been associated with the craft of Kantha in one way or the other.

The two main institutions under the Government of India , namely, National Institute of Fashion Technology & National Institute of Design have been working with the Kantha craft since their inception in terms of design intervention & marketing support. Cluster initiatives by different departments of NIFT Kolkata have been taking place mainly in Bolpur, West bengal to provide design inputs, marketing supports in the craft of Kantha and so on for several years continuing till date.

Private Sector Institutes A number of private sector institutes are coming up to support and to provide marketing consultation to the Kantha clusters of West Bengal.

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the HISTORY

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The craft has evolved from the naive household item to one of extreme value as utility as well as keepsake. In the last century, several people working with crafts of Bengal like Ms. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and Ms. Shamlu Dudeja

Kantha was usually used by backward class, poor people.

Its main purpose was to be used as blankets. They used old cloth to make this utility product. In the past, Kantha was mainly practised among women of the house as a mode of recreation and keepsake. It was a way of beautifying the household by making utility products and thereby upcycling old and worn out sarees. Even the embroidery thread was extracted from the wearer’s own sarees. In the past, Kantha was used mainly to make quilts and as covers for household items like mirror, trunks, almirahs etc.

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The craft has every possibility to become completely sustainable. The raw materials (fabrics) can be sourced from several handloom clusters in Bengal or the neighboring states.

The craft does not need any elaborate machinery or space. If the artisans are exposed directly to the international market, the craft has every scope of becoming self sustaining and can also promote the handloom sector along side.

There are also no industrial waste or chemical hazards involved in the craft process.

It is ecologically viable and environment friendly and

totally a localized practice.

The craft has a demand both in the local and international market. The traditional product range and method of Kantha quilting is being recreated and gaining acceptability in the market.

Further, the next generation of the artisans is getting educated in schools (even colleges in certain cases), which is also a positive aspect; keeping in mind that they are ready to continue the craft as a profession. The next generation of the artisans is mentally prepared to forward the glory and legacy of this creative tradition.

craft process

The artisans of Kantha receive their wages generally in the basis of the number of pieces produced. The wages varies for different category of products depending on the amount of work and expertise and intricacy engaged.

The Kantha artisans of Bengal are extremely talented with their craftsmanship. Most of them are practising this craft from their childhood days and this is practised in their family for generations. In the clusters of Barasat, the quality of work is mainly suitable for mass market where the unit price is comparatively lower. But the artisans have extreme finesse in their work, which is widely appreciated and acclaimed around the globe.

They give emphasis on quality over quantity of production. The output for this particular craft is extremely case specific.

Again their productivity increases with the age of experience and skill.

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Tools & Materials........................................... 42 Procedure........................................... 44 Motifs & Colour........................................... 46

TOOLS & MATERIALS

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Sometimes as per demand, beads, sequin, laces are used along with Kantha and are sourced either locally or from BurraBazar in Kolkata.

The basic tools comprise of a variety of needles, wooden frames of various sizes, scissors and thread cutters.

Pencil and paper is used initially to draw the design.

For tracing the design or preparing of khaka (perforated designs on a tracing paper) the following tools are requiredthick tracing sheets, needle, Robin Blue Powder, Zinc Oxide, Kerosene, and carpet needle wrapped in a wooden stick. A specialised tool resembling a tattoo machine is a modern adaptation of tracing. It comprises of a needle fixed to a pen as tip, attached to a motor for automatic perforation of design on the tracing paper, is being used.

Kantha is an exclusive craft yet makes use of very humble raw materials. Though earlier Kantha was made of discarded sarees and dhotis, the modern Kantha uses a variety of raw materials. Cotton and silk including the locally available handloom Tussar, Bishnupuri silk, along with Bangalore silk, Assam Silk and Gicha from Bhagalpur are popular base material for Kantha. In cotton the variety ranges from Rubia , Denim and Terry-cot for bags and home furnishings and pure cotton including handloom and Khadi for garments. Cotton Kota and Khesh saree with Kantha embroidery is the present trend. To keep the cost within the reach of a mass market, synthetic base materials

including Rayon, Viscose Georgette, Chiffon is being used. This was particularly observed in Barasat. Most of the base fabric is supplied either by the client or by the middle man called ‘ostagars’. The master artisan also invests in them occasionally. Apart from base fabric, threads are required. The most popular is Dolly brand of cotton threads,ads are avoided as colours run. For finer work Reagan threads are also used. Many ‘ostagara’ use a Neelam Shade Card as reference to select the right colour of threads as ordered by a client. This is similar to the Pantone Colour chips but comprise of thread samples.

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PROCEDURE 1/

Design and fabric is provided to the artisans by clients (vendors, Boutiques, Maha jans) from small towns or big cities around India (Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bolpur). Although in many cases the artisans are instructed to procure the materials from the local market.At times they also develop their own designs.

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Designs are drawn on a piece of paper then they transferred on to a tracing sheet.

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Designs are perforated by a specially designed needle or sometimes by a motorized needle pricking machine to transfer the design on to the fabric.

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The designs are then transferred on the fabric by rubbing a piece of cotton, soaked in a special mixture of Kerosene oil and Zinc Oxide in case the ground fabric is dark in colour. Robin Blue is used when the base is of a lighter colour. The process of the tracing and printing is generally done by the male counterpart of the family in some clusters.

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The next stage is the process of distribution of the work to the individual artisan by the master artisan.

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The work is then done by the artisans (mostly women) in their spare time after completion of their household duties.

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After the embroidery is completed, The product is washed and ironed and then sent to the clients or Maha jans.

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MOTIFS & COLOURS

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Original Kantha makers did not draw the motif but they embroidered the outline with needle and thread. After being satisfied with the design they would start filling in with colourful stitches to complete a design.

A design is usually outlined first and stitches are made from outside slowly narrowing into the middle of a design. This ensures that the fabric remains even and does not get crumpled inside the design. Modern artisans use wooden blocks to trace repeated design on the fabric or use needle to prick a tracing sheet on which the design has already been drawn. Then this sheet is places on the fabric and laundry blue mix with Kerosene is rubbed on the paper. The blue liquid leaves dotted marks on the fabric as it penetrates through the holes thus tracing the design or pattern. It is very easy to dust away this blue when it dries or wash it off.

For a dark back ground chalk or Zinc Oxide is used instead of the blue. Traditional Kanthas had resham borders of saris stitched onto the edges for a neat finish.

Modern ones have folded and stitched or hand hemmed edges. Sometimes the edges are picoted as well. Care is taken not to draw a thread too far as it would show ugly at the reverse. A motif when completed is knotted securely at the reverse to ensure it stays in place and does not unravel.

Earlier, prevalent colors in Kantha quilts were mainly primary colors on a white base. The base was also quilted in self color embroidery threads wherever there was a background devoid of any motifs. Colors are mainly as provided by the customer.

Sometimes artisans provide their own combinations inspired from colors they see around them. Presently the spectrum varies from bright to classic and includes muted ones too.

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Type of traditional Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Modern Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Modern Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Type of traditional Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Type of traditional Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Modern Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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curren tsc ena rio 3

SWOT Analysis........................................... 54 Marketing Mix........................................... 59 Evolution........................................... 60

SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGHT:

Main strength is the sustainable factor of the craft. It requires very minimal amount of equipments, and women of every household can become self reliant. Kantha can be done at any time and any place. It does not require any special arrangement of light or equipment. It can be a very important mode of self sufficiency for the women who do it. It is not weather dependent like several other crafts.

WEAKNESS:

The weakness is mainly the fact that the artisan donot know the actual value of the work. They work for long hours in between household chores, and get paid very less. Another weakness is the extreme wholesale approach in the craft at the moment.

The quality and finishing is highly affected by the low wholesale rate that the middlemen and shopkeepers give.

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OPPORTUNITY:

THREAT:

Artisans donot understand that the craft cannot thus creating an up market demand.The art of Kantha quilting, which was almost lost for a few years is again making a comeback and is being readily accepted by the international market, much more than the readily available fashion and lifestyle products. Another opportunity is that many of the girls of the next generation are persuing education, which will make them aware of the market and the value of the work.

The ma jor threat is machine embroidered and printed products. Factories copy the look of Kantha through machine embroidery or even printing. Another threat is the unwillingness of many educated girls of the next generation who would like to do a job, build a career rather than investing time in the ill-paid craft.

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Kantha products being sold at local stores.

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Artisans signing their pay cheques, after delivery.

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Modern Kantha motif, used by artisans.

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Modern Kantha designs, used by artisans.

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Artisans talking with designers about marketing.

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Modern Kantha designs, used by artisans.

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MARKETING MIX

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Also the next generation is quite aware and even active on social media, which makes it possible for the craft to imbibe current trends.

Artisans do not do much of promotions, though the government and also a few non government organisations are conducting awareness workshops for customers lately.

Main types of popular products at present are apparel and accessories from Kantha embroidered sarees, stoles, dupattas to stitched kurtas, blouses and so on. Also present are various kinds of pouches and bags. Few artisans are also returning to the art of Kantha quilting to make products ranging from shawls to quilts. Many of the products are not very properly finished and the apparel lack proper pattern making. But some artisans are becoming more aware of the value of proper quality and design; as a result of exposure to several fairs sponsored by the government in metropolitan cities or even some outside the country.

This has brought a fresh outlook to the craft.

EVOLUTION In the current scenario, it is the ideal time for design intervention as the younger generation is aware, educated and have their presence on the social mediaplatform. The artisans need to be made to realise the value of their work;and also what kind of work they should do to attract both national and international buyers. For example, some artisans avoid do something as basic as tying the loose ends of the embroidery threads in knots after they complete stitching. They should be made to realise why something like this can make buyers reject their product in spite of them working day and night on it.

Sometimes they ignore neatness and stain the fabric with turmeric or food residues. Loose thread ends

are left hanging. The artisans need to be made above of the importance of proper finishing. The craft is worth its value only when the products are finished better as per the need of a niche sector. Artisans should also be encouraged to use local materials and support allied local industry for holistic development of the area. Social and Cultural Influence Artisans are influenced by works of several designers or organisations. They are also influenced by each other.

If there is a new design in the market, it is interpreted across different artisan groups next season. Most fairs have artisans selling sarees and other apparel which have been heavily commercialized and far from the exquisite traditions.

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The BRIEF.............................................................................

The OBJECTIVE................................................................

Workshop PLAN...............................................................

The ARTISANS...................................................................

Products MADE.................................................................

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THE BRIEF

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Collaborative/ co- creation and recognition of various stake holders like designers, entrepreneurs and others.

Appropriateness in fitment of skills and product.

The main objective was conservation and recovery of the artisan tradition. Strengthen the identity of the craft products. Refinement of products made in current situation. To develop new products based on the demand of different markets.

Promote innovation in the artisan communities. The selected cluster is located in the village of Nanoor in the district of Birbhum, which was in the mid-western part of West Bengal. Nanoor cluster is 300 kms away from the capital of the state.

Nanoor is a pure example of picturesque Indian village with its greens and its people. Kantha craft is the main source of income.

THE OBJECTIVE Awareness among the artisans about various practices prevalent in the craft. Exposure to craft new products with their existing skills. Manipulation of current skills to develop new vocabulary in craft.

Normalizing technical aspects and finishes for their craft product.

This workshop contributes to the integral education of the artisan, meet the expectations in the aspects of craft expression, technique refinement and product design It is developed with the presence of a Master artisan, designer(s), or a design academician/ professional (from the design field), in a process of creative exchange to widen knowledge and improve quality. Designer prepared with product drawing and specifications. Designer should also carry requisite visual presentations and materials (accessories, trims etc.) to the workshop. The presentation happened for 15 days with 14 artisans.

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Artisans working at the Shanibarer haat, Bolpur.

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Master artisan at workshop, teaching other artisans.

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Artisans working at the Shanibarer haat, Bolpur.

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Master artisan at workshop, teaching other artisans.

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Master artisan at workshop, teaching other artisans.

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Artisans working at the Shanibarer haat, Bolpur.

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WORKSHOP PLAN During the Pre-Workshop visit to the cluster, the following points were identified;

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As per the pre workshop visit to the cluster- Nanoor, we recognised few gaps in the system.

These few points state the GAP analysis, and we have tried to fill up the gaps as much as we could.

As the artisans practice different types of embroideries such as Gujarati stitch, feather stitch, cross stitch, Kasooti etc., thus Kantha has been diluted as an independent form.

There has been notable shift from the traditional aspect of Kantha. The artisans usually mix different types of stitch.

Traditionally Kantha used old cotton fabric, but these days we find a variety of synthetic materials being used.

Due to infiltration of various other crafts the traditional motifs have been replaced by new designs, which do not translate to the old heritage that Kantha belongs to.

The artisans usually make products that take a lot of time to finish (eg.: A saree takes 2 months to complete), resulting in low payment. In the same amount of time if number of products could be increased, the cost per product would have yielded them more money.

The artisans source raw material from Kolkata, which increases their production cost, as it includes cost of travel, buying etc.

One of the most important part of any crafts reaching the buyers is through middlemen. The artisans do not sell their products directly in the market, they do it via a middleman. Due to this the amount of money the artisans should be getting are not reaching them.

After the embroidery is done, the product is sent for finishing. The local tailors don’t have the required skill to finish the products with finesse.

Most of the artisans do not have any idea about design, so they are not doing anything innovative.

Whatever design is being given to them they are blindly following them.

The artisans have no idea about design or colour combinations, which result in producing thing that don’t sell in the market.

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the artisans

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Aklima Bibi

32 | Married | Nanoor

Amina Bibi

36 | Married | Nanoor

Ayesa Bibi

66 | Widow | Sakodda

Beauty Begum

31 | Married | Nanoor

Jasmin Bibi

25 | Married | Nanoor

Lalmoni Khatun Kadbanu Begum Lutfa Sultana Mahmuda Begum Meherunessa Khatun Regina Bibi Rohima Khatun Sahida Bibi Tahamina Bibi

23 | Unmarried | Nanoor 44 | Married | Baliguni 22 | Unmarried | Nanoor 36 | Married | Nanoor 20 | Unmarried | Sakodda 30 | Married | Nanoor 21 | Unmarried | Baliguni 26 | Unmarried | Sakodda 40 | Married | Sakodda

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PRODUCTS MADE

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As a part of the workshop that took place at Nanoor, 14 artisans worked hard to give rise to amazing products, which ranged from bags, laptop sleeves to notebooks and dresses.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs will take up this skill development program for all traditional arts/crafts being practiced by minority communities, for their development and market linkages. This in turn will aid the development of craft and improve the livelihood by increasing trade of Handlooms and Handicrafts. It will further give a big boost to the moral and confidence of the crafts persons and artisans from minority communities for producing quality fabrics and continuing their age-old traditions as a part of the culture and heritage of our country. Subsequently, it would take the handloom and handicrafts industry to greater heights.

100% COTTON

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GRANNY’S POUCH

TOTE

TOTE

POTLI

NOTE BOOK

HAND WOVEN

HAND STITCHED

ECO FRIENDLY

100% COTTON

HAND WOVEN

HAND STITCHED

ECO FRIENDLY

100% COTTON

HAND WOVEN

HAND STITCHED

ECO FRIENDLY

INSIG NIA

The BRAND..........................................................................

Logo OPTIONS.................................................................

The CONCEPT...................................................................

Grid WORK........................................................................

Style SHEET........................................................................

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KANTHA REINVENTED | FIVE

THE BRAND

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Objective standards and quality control systems have been set up to ensure the brand guidelines are used in a consistent way across the globe.

This trademark is to be used by affiliated vendors on their products as an assurance that the product conforms to a set of standards laid by the organization. It claims that the mark is employed on textile products as an assurance that the product is made of 100% pure Kantha embroidery. The symbol is not just a brand, but also used for example for advertising purposes.

Products carrying these marks are subject to the high quality standards, which are backed up by rigorous test methods. It has clearly defined product specifications, divided into product types.

LOGO OPTIONS As I embarked on the project, a few options for the insignia was doodled. There was a common concept for all the options: 1/

The essence of rural Bengal, that roots back to traditional Kantha.

2/

Motifs that are to be used should only be traditional Kantha.

3/

The insignia is not just a brand that would be used for commercial purposes, but it has a functionality.

4/

The insignia has to be a mark for authentication.

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THE CONCEPT

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As per the Brand Story, the logo has to reflect three main attibutes of the brand, namely: organicity, maturity and authenticity.

The insignia that has been developed has been made keeping in mind the versatility of Kantha embroidery. This project ensures that I create a brand for Kantha authentication so as to be visible in the industry. The specifications and test methods are continually reviewed to ensure that they are consistent with current practice. This provides both the industry and consumers with peace of mind through quality assurance. The idea behind creating this brand identity was to make the concept and content of the brand well marketted and thus accepted.

GRID WORK As the brand insignia has been finalized it has the following components: 1/

7 circles that depict the 7 basic types of traditional Kantha.

2/

The logo has a grid which contains a heotagon (7 sided).

3/

It has two weightages of strokes giving it an additional depth.

4/

The intersections of the circles give rise to a complete mandala having a flower (ma jor motif in Muslim Kantha) and the sun (component of Hindu Kantha).

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x

x

x

x

x

x

85

KANTHA

x/10 x/10

In the above page, the evolution of the logo has been shown step wise. The proportions are 1:1 bounded by a square with side (x).

There are two options for the finalised logo, containing the same elements, namely- the 7 circles, mandala formation, flower ans the sun. The stroke width has been used to add dimension to the logo.The insignia is to be used in either black or white on the brand colours as per the hue.

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The layering shows how the logo is formed out of the various elements of authentic traditional Kantha. Thus, this stands true to itself of being an insignia for trustworthiness.

It doesnot associate with any branding or advertising of any deceptive nature, but authenticates the value of the traditional original Kantha.

ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRST UVWXYZ abcdefghijkl mnopqrstuv wxyz 1234567890 TYPE FACE:

Quicksand Pro is a redesign of Quicksand Family originally made in 2008 using geometric shapes as it’s core foundation.

Quicksand Pro’s development started to address most if not all those issues. This typeface very well gels with the character of the brand. It is thin, yet has a weight to itself. Being sans-serif it doesnt has very sharp abrupt edges, thus the discipline is maintained yet has the flowy nature attached to it.

#B0ACAC

#D0C6C7

#E5E1CC

#D0D9BF

#BFCBD6

#99BCC0

#C39E95

#CFCCC2

#D4C5AE

#BDCB9E

#859AAF

#85A6C2

#A15563

#673549

#B1A594

#BBA974

#76A075

#117377

#7C1F22

#93554B

#715046

#B9976B

#4E705A

#12385C

COLOUR PALETTE:

This colour palette has been made specifically from images of old traditional Kantha. Old works had been sourced, photographed and from a huge array of colours, these were selected for the brand. The palette ranges widely from warm hues to cool tones. But most significant thing about it is that the overall look of the palette is very sober, sophisticated, classy and neutral toned.

STYLE SHEET

It revolutionizes the way people communicate with ideas and information. Visuals and type should not compete, but support each other.

A complete style sheet shall be included in the brand manual , which will state in details how the logo usage will be made permissible depending on the various medium, colours etc.

The manual will give the insigt on the DO’s and DONT’s of the brand. It shall state the ideology, logo development and the various styles of the insignia. Here are a few instructions.

Do not alter the logo in any way. Do not animate, color, rotate, skew, or apply effects to the logo. Do not separate the elements.

Never attempt to create the logoyourself, change the font, or alter the size or proportions.

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KANTHA REINVENTED | SIX

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my mentor Ms. Sreenanda Palit, Mr. Souvik Bose, Mr. Chhandak Pradhan and Mr. Jit Ray, who gave me endless support and inspiration to do this wonderful project on the topic

KANTHA: REINVENTED This project was a dream, it helped me in doing a lot of primary research and I came to know about a lot of new things. Secondly I would also like to thank the artisans, my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame. I owe its successful completion to everybody involved with me to do it.

DICTION ARY

The content

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Localization of a craft makes it more authentic and brings out the flavour of the place even more. Thus in this project the colloquial terms have been given prime importance.

Through this project, I have interacted with various artisans from Bolpur and Barasat to document the colloquial names of motifs, borders and colours. This has been compiled into a quirky handbook of Kantha which also contains various interesting factsabout the traditional Bengal craft.

This localization will lead to bringing the audience closer to the craft and understand it better. It aims at bridging the gap between the artisans and the user. The quirky colour names and fancy border names make up the dictionary attractive, fun and interactive.

indian Terms This project is all about the localization of the craft and how it has afftected us. Thus, I have jotted down various colloquial names that are used by the artisans in their day to day life. It has three components: 1/

2/

Colours: more than 60 colours have been documented in the dictionary.

Borders: owing to the traditional knowledge of the artisans, it was easy to collect the colloquial names of the borders.

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Neel Rong

Gur Golapi

Chhai Rong

Ghiya Rong

Sea Sobuj

Deep Golapi

Chhai Rong

Halka Golapi

Neel Beguni

Akashi Rong

Sobuj Rong

Chhai Ghiya

Halka Sobuj

Komla Golapi

Golapi Rong

Neel Ghiya

Sorse Holud

Halka Golapi

Laal Komla

Garho Jaam

Halka Komla

Golap Beguni

Laal Komla

Rani Golapi

Rani Golapi

Kalche Chhai

Cream Rong

Garho Akashi

Deep Golapi

Chhai Rong

Holud Rong

Pitti Sobuj

Halka Golapi

Sobuj Rong

Gur Golapi

Garho Sobuj

Neel Beguni

Garho Golapi

Rani Golapi

Firoza Rong

Halka Pata

Golapi Rong

Shaola Sobuj

Holud Rong

Garho Ghiya

Halka Ghiya

Akashi Rong

Sea Sobuj

Gur Golapi

Toktoke Laal

Halka Golapi

Halka Komla

Garho Jaam

Garho Komla

Halka Golapi

Sorse Holud

Pitti Sobuj

Golapi Rong

Golapi Beguni

Gur Golapi

Garho Akashi

Ghiya Rong

Neel Beguni

Rani golapi

Neel Rong

Gur Golapi

Chhai Rong

Ghiya Rong

Sea Sobuj

Deep Golapi

Chhai Rong

Halka Golapi

Neel Beguni

Akashi Rong

Sobuj Rong

Chhai Ghiya

Halka Sobuj

Komla Golapi

Golapi Rong

Neel Ghiya

Sorse Holud

Halka Golapi

Laal Komla

Garho Jaam

Halka Komla

Golap Beguni

Laal Komla

Rani Golapi

Rani Golapi

Kalche Chhai

Cream Rong

Garho Akashi

Deep Golapi

Chhai Rong

Holud Rong

Pitti Sobuj

Halka Golapi

Sobuj Rong

Gur Golapi

Garho Sobuj

Neel Beguni

Garho Golapi

Rani Golapi

Firoza Rong

Halka Pata

Golapi Rong

Shaola Sobuj

Holud Rong

Garho Ghiya

Halka Ghiya

Akashi Rong

Sea Sobuj

Gur Golapi

Toktoke Laal

Halka Golapi

Halka Komla

Garho Jaam

Garho Komla

Halka Golapi

Sorse Holud

Pitti Sobuj

Golapi Rong

Golapi Beguni

Gur Golapi

Garho Akashi

Ghiya Rong

Neel Beguni

Rani golapi

GURI RUN KANTHA

COSMOS KANTHA DHAGA KANTHA BHORAT KANTHA CHOK TAGA KANTA PHOR CHALU KANTHA BICHE TAGA CHELI PHOR NAKSHI KANTHA

MOTOR PHOR

MALA TAGA BEKI PHOR GANJI PHOR BISA TAGA CHAIN PHOR PENCH TAGA MOI PHOR LATA PHOR

CHIK PHOR

INSTAL LAT ION

KANTHA REINVENTED | SEVEN

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my mentor Ms. Sreenanda Palit, Mr. Souvik Bose, Mr. Chhandak Pradhan and Mr. Jit Ray, who gave me endless support and inspiration to do this wonderful project on the topic

KANTHA: REINVENTED This project was a dream, it helped me in doing a lot of primary research and I came to know about a lot of new things. Secondly I would also like to thank the artisans, my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time frame. I owe its successful completion to everybody involved with me to do it.

Aklima Bibi 32 | Married | Nanoor

Amina Bibi 36 | Married | Nanoor

Ayesa Bibi 66 | Widow | Sakodda

Beauty Begum 31| Married | Nanoor

Jasmin Bibi 25 | Married | Nanoor

Lalmoni Khatun 23 | Unmarried | Nanoor

Lutfa Sultana 22 | Unmarried | Nanoor

Kadbanu Begum 44 | Married | Baliguni

Meherunessa Khatun 20 | Unmarried | Sakodda

Mahmuda Begum 36 | Married | Nanoor

Regina Bibi 30 | Married | Nanoor

Rohima Khatun 21 | Unmarried | Baliguni

Sahida Bibi 26 | Unmarried | Sakodda

Tahamina Bibi 40 | Married | Sakodda

About PROJECT................................................................ 121 The LEARNING.................................................................. 122 KANTHA REINVENTED | EIGHT

CONCLU SION

ABOUT PROJECT

121

This government initiative has given me the opportunity to work with artisans of rural Bengal and help upgrade their lifestyle and working conditions.

A lean towards cheap commercialization is killing the intricate traditional craft.

Handcrafted Kantha is replace machine made things, and hence there is no point competing with the speed and price of machine embroidered products. Also in terms of product diversification, there is not much variety. There is not much design intervention in the craft. The products are not always properly finished; hence limiting the market inspite of the craft being highly intricate and detailed.

As this project still continues, I would like to address all the gaps that have been found and try to fill it up as much as possible.

THE LEARNING The experience of working under the USTTAD project has been a complete journey. The varied arena of work has helped to understand the industry and how to deal with artisans, bridging the gap between them and us, keeping up-to-date with the current world. Understanding the need of Communication Design in the area of craft also remains unfathomable.

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10/ 11/ 12/

Functioning of a governmentinitiative.

Studying various books on Kantha.

Effective communication with artisans.

Understanding the target audience.

Working under deadlines and following brief.

Creating different types of designs.

Analysing the traditional craft form.

Creating a bank of reference images for insignia.

Referencing graphic elements and types.

Documentation process through primary research.

Illustrations, digital designing, photography.

Compiling various informations into a document.

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REFERE NCE

KANTHA REINVENTED | NINE

A comprehensive gallery to clarify the most frequently used terms and definitions to avoid errors due to different interpretations. Secondary use is educational. Helping readers to know words that are unknown to them. This project uses a lot of colloquial terms and words that are Bengal centric. For ease of usage this glossary shall come handy. All terms and their meanings have been deciphered through continuous interactions.

new terms

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ARSHILATA BEYTAN DURJANI GICHA KHAKHA KHESH KONTHA LATA MAHAJAN NAKSHI OSTAGAR RUBIA RUMAL SUJANI TAGA TUSSAR

Envelope shaped Kantha.

Kantha to cover furniture.

Wallet shaped Kantha.

Type of coarse fabric.

Colloquial term for stencil.

Fabric created from rags.

Sanskrit word for rags.

Suffix depicting type of stitch.

Colloquial term for clients.

Basic type of Kantha.

Term for middlemen.

Type of soft cotton fabric.

Kantha which is like kerchief.

Ornate bedspread.

Suffix depicting type of stitch.

Type of silk fabric.

DCHC Development Commissioner of Handloom and Handicrafts SGSY Swarojgar Swarna Jayanti KUSP Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor SUDA State Urban Development Agency

The credits The Art of Kantha Embroidery. Dhaka, Bangladesh: University Press, Zaman, Niaz(1993).

Understanding CraftsmenConsumer Relation with Relation to craft value chain, Mukherjee, Rishita(2015).

The project report acknowledges all the references that were used to complete the project. Some of the references found in this appendix have hyperlinks that connect to pages on internet.

Crafting a livelihood https://issuu.com/dasraindia/ docs/crafting_a_ livelihood_ full_report History Of The Craft http://iisd-ngo.org/attachments The Kantha Tradition http://handandcloth.org/ pages/the-kanthatradition Kantha- Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, Kramrisch, S(1939, 1968).

Unknown India: Ritual art in tribe and village, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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