Kantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection and the Stella Kramrisch Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Abstract

BOOKKantha: The Embroidered Quilts of Bengal from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection and the Stella Kramrisch Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of ArtDarielle Mason (Editor) https://doi.org/10.37862/aaeportal.00323 Stable URL: https://aaeportal.com/?id=-22907Copy This first book-length study on kanthas published outside of South Asia focuses on two premier collections, one assembled by the legendary historian of Indian art, Dr. Stella Kramrisch, the other by Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz, leading proponents of self-taught art. Created from worn-out garments imaginatively embroidered by women with motifs and tales drawn from a rich regional repertoire, kanthas traditionally were stitched as gifts for births, weddings, and other family occasions. Innovative essays by leading scholars explore the domestic, ritual, and historical contexts of the fascinating quilts in these collections—made between the mid-19th and mid-20th century in what is today Bangladesh and West Bengal, India—and trace their reinterpretation as emblems of national identity and works of art.AuthorDarielle Mason (Editor)PublisherPhiladelphia Museum of ArtPrint publication date December 2009 (in print)Print ISBN 9780300154429EISBN 9780300270549Copyright© 2009 Philadelphia Museum of ArtIllustrations 270Print Status in print Publisher (in print) WorldCat Google Books