
- Kantha
- Enlarge image
Kantha
- Place of origin:
Bangladesh (The attribution to Khulna is on the basis of a similar piece in Leicestershire Museum and Art Galleries, illustrated in 'Woven Air' (London, Whitechapel Art gallery, 1988), p.18, cat.91. , made)
- Date:
early 20th century (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown
- Materials and Techniques:
Cotton, embroidered with cotton thread
- Credit Line:
Purchased with the assistance of the Luigi and Laura Dallapiccola Foundation
- Museum number:
IS.16-2008
- Gallery location:
South Asia, Room 41, case 6A
This sitting mat is embroidered with Hindu gods and goddesses, dressed as urban Bengalis. The scenes show the goddess Devi Chandi standing on a lion fighting the demons Chanda and Munda, who were soldiers of the demon Shumbha ; Krishna playing the flute, with Radha and two attendants; Rama and Sita enthroned, with the monkey god Hanuman paying homage before them, and either Bharata or Lakshman holding a parasol and another attendant with a fly-whisk; and a goddess, probably Lakshmi the goddess of wealth, enthroned, with Kartik with his peacock and Lakshmi's vehicle the owl to her right. Two other attendants are shown beside the goddess.
The name of the maker, Srimati Basanta Kumari, is embroidered around the central roundel.