THREATS FACED BY THE ARTISANS DUE TO THE INFORMAL ECONOMIC

SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY ON KANTHA CRAFT

Keywords: Kantha, Craftwork, Artisan, Economic System, Women Emancipation,

Opportunities, Constraints.

___________________________________________________________________

MEGHNA BANERJEE
Email: meghnabanerjee202@gmail.com
Fashion Communication Department
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kolkata
Min. of Textiles. Govt. of India

DECLARATION:

By including this statement, the author of the work verifies that,

 She holds a copy of this paper that can be reproduced if the original is lost or
damaged.

 She hereby certifies that no part of this paper has been copied from some other
scholar’s work or some other sources except where due acknowledgment is made in
the paper.

 She is aware that this work may be reproduced and submitted to plagiarism detection
software programs for the purpose of detecting plausible plagiarism (which may
retain a copy on its database for future plagiarism checking).

 She hereby certifies that she has read and understood what the National Institute of
Fashion Technology, Kolkata defines as minor and substantial breaches of
misconduct as outlined in the learning guide for this unit.

ABSTRACT:

Sandra Dallas mentioned that a woman didn't leave much behind in the world to show she'd
been there. Even the children she bore and raised got their father's name. But her quilts, was
something she could pass on. Indigenously, in rural Bengal quilts were made by layering and
stitching old sarees or dhotis which were called ‘Kantha’. It was initially a utility product used
to protect the people from cold and for the babies as a bed sheet. Today, Kantha is a leading
embroidery of and from Bengal which is being used by various designers for their collection.
This paper discusses the physical as well as the economical constraints faced by the artisans.
The data is collected by conducting a primary survey in the Sonarpur Kantha Craft Cluster.
The paper also studies how ‘parampara’ drives the inheritance of the craft through emotional
values. The study further explores the various opportunities for the craftswomen and how an
institutional platform and proper publicity can build a more formal system.

INTRODUCTION:

The needlecraft of Kantha

Sreenanda Palit in her paper states that ace academic researcher and writer Niaz Zaman
describes the traditional craft of Kantha as “women’s art”, (Palit & Debnath, 2017) (Zaman,
2012). The term Kantha derives its name from the Sanskrit word, which has two different
meanings: rag and throat. Indigenous to undivided Bengal, Kantha was a form of traditional
quilting, in which worn out, discarded sarees and dhotis were layered and stitched together.
Headed by scholar-collectors Gurusaday Dutt and Stella Kramrisch, the Kantha became a
subject for art historical consideration in the early twentieth century (Zaman, Art of kantha).
The origin of the term Kantha has several mythological deductions. Kantha is also believed to
have been derived from the word ‘Kontha’ which means ‘throat’. It has been associated with
Lord Shiva, also known as ‘neel-kontha’ for swallowing the poison from the heart of the ocean.
Some also believe that the word Kantha has association with Buddhism, where Buddha and
his disciples used to clad themselves in torn rags which were patched and stitched together.
The earliest mention of the craft has been traced back to Pre-Vedic ages, however
Krishnadasa Kaviraja’s book, Chaitanya Charitramrita, had the mention of Kantha as what we
know today it is.

Indigenous to rural Bengal, the craft of Kantha was immensely evolved by the significant roles
played by the housewives. It was a practise among the rural women which required no cost-
intensive materials. The thorns were used to sew the fabric and the threads were drawn from
the borders of the old sarees. The embroidery preliminarily depicted folklores, daily activities
or religious themes. Kantha is a craft driven by ‘Parampara’ as it is passed down from
generations to generation as a token of skill and care. It was an expression of a woman’s
veiled imaginations, aspirations and desires. Today, more than 50,000 women artisans are
associated with this craft and it has become an important source of income for them. Although
Kantha is associated with recycling of worn out materials thereby relating it to poverty, the
revival and commercialisation of the craft makes it an asset of the affluent.

Objectives

The objective of the paper is to study the threats faced by the Kantha artisans due to the
informal economic system. It also involves understanding how ‘parampara’ drives the
inheritance of the craft through emotional values. The paper further delves into how an
institutional platform and proper publicity can build a more formal system.
METHODOLOGY:

This study is catered by attribute based, qualitative method of data collection. The survey for
the research covers only one cluster of the chosen craft and the artisans working there and
thus it is micro based. It is a purely, theoretical and fundamental study thus serving as a basic
research. This study is based on sources from library and internet. With respect to time, it is
latitudinal as the data under the study ranges over a few years. The study is based on data
available about the craft in various articles, journals, websites, etc. These data are in detailed
description of the craft however, with certain scope for further research. It is a descriptive
research focusing on secondary data comprising of primary research by various other writers,
authors and researchers. Observations and analysis based on historical data collected from
various books, review of papers and their analysis through secondary data. The data collection
method for this study is primary as well as secondary in nature. The primary data is collected
by interviewing artisans of the Sonarpur Kantha Craft Cluster and the secondary data is
collected through information available from websites, journals and research papers obtained
from the internet and books. The analysis of the available data thus brings out the scope and
opportunities for the craftswomen thereby further empowering them.

LITERATURE REVIEW:

Kantha Stitch and Its Impact on Rural Women Empowerment: An Indian Case Study by
Dr. Piyal Basu Roy, Head, Department of Geography, Alipurduar College, and Gobinda
Rajbanshi, Assistant Professor, Department of Bengali, Vivekananda College.

This paper discusses how the craft of Kantha has empowered women and offers them various
opportunities for themselves. The authors provide a basis for how proper preservation of the
craft can lead to employment opportunities for various other women. The paper also brings
out a remarkable thing about the attitude of the women that is changing. The females are now
aware of their self-respect and their position in the society and community. Apart from their
traditional role of a housewife, many of them have now taken this art as a profession and are
even employing other women under them.

Kantha Embroidery- A Woman-Centric Path Towards Empowerment for Artisans in

West Bengal by Dr. Debaleena Debnath, Assistant Professor, folklore Dept., Kalyani
University, Nadia, west Bengal and Ms. Sreenanda Palit, Associate Professor and
Centre Coordinator- Fashion Communication, National Institute of Fashion
Technology, Kolkata, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India.

This paper explores the role of beneficiaries and stakeholders in globalising the craft as it went
from being a personal passed on gift to a commercial utility product. It also provides a
comparative study regarding the role played by women in the clusters of Nanoor, Birbhum
District and Kadambagachi, Barashat District. The paper also brings out the various reasons
which have made Kantha a women-centric craft. The various transformations and the
modifications the craft has gone through is mentioned in the paper and how it has helped in
the adaptation of the craft.
Kantha Embroidery: Popular Style of Embroidery from West Bengal | Utsavpedia

This article provides an overview of the craft of Kantha Embroidery. It discusses about the
various faces behind the stitch, the innovations going on within the core of the craft. The article
also comes up with the factors facilitating the commercialisation and globalisation of the craft.

Crafts of West Bengal, a book published in the United States of America in 1994 by
Grantha Corporation.

This book explores the various crafts in vogue in the state of West Bengal. The chapter on the
Kantha Embroidery is a detailed comparison of the traditional and modern methods of practise
regarding the craft. It also throws light on the commercial and global factors impacting the
craft.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Comparison of the Motifs based on Religious Values

The practise of the craft dates back to undivided Bengal, where it was a leisure time activity
for the housewives to stitch Kanthas for personal use which later got passed on as a heirloom
legacy. It was widely practised by both the Hindus and the Muslims. During that time the motifs
that were embroidered were local folklores, daily happenings and sometimes it depicted the
imaginations, desires and agony of the housewives. However, the 1947 Partition, created a
rift between the two major communities which practised the craft of Kantha. Gradually, with
the advancement of time the Hindu embroiders, started using the motifs of nature, animals
and Gods whereas the Muslim embroiders started using more abstract motifs. The Hindu
craftswomen used motifs which were mainly inspired by mythology and often were the results
of their own self-expression. Through these motifs they tried to visually represent their anguish
and supressed feelings and the relativity to their soul. However, the Muslim artisans tried
avoiding living forms and used motifs which were mainly inspired by the Islamic geometric
patterns, which were less colourful and more abstract with respect to the Hindu motifs.
Nowadays, however, the commercial artisans work with every type of motifs irrespective of
their religion. These motifs along with the colour schemes are mainly decided by the
designers, for whom the artisans work.

‘Parampara’ Driving the Inheritance of the Craft

Initially kantha was a token of love, care and blessing which was passed on from one
generation to the other. It was ordinate to practise the craft of kantha at almost every
household. It was an activity during the leisure of the women. And, traditionally the skill as well
as the products were passed down to the next generation.

‘Parampara’ which means ‘tradition’ plays a significant role in the inheritance of the craft.
Bengal the onset of the craft is a state of diverse traditions and kantha is one of the earliest
traditional embroidery of Bengal. From the skill, to the motifs everything is passed on to the
next generation because of the traditions. Along with the traditions there are emotional values
and sentiments which are vehemently associated with the craft. The craft is often considered
and seen as a blessing of the ancestors as it gets passed on. Sreenanda Palit in her paper
states that ‘Kantha allowed women to leave mark of their existence in the memories of the
generation to come. Many Kantha makers, therefore, stitched their names on their Kanthas
(Palit & Debnath,2017).

Even today, the craftswomen are keen to pass down this family tradition to their heirs and
want them to carry on with the craft. Sometimes, the individuals are skilful and sometimes they
acquire the skills. Nevertheless, the heirloom legacy goes on and the craft of rags gets
metamorphosed into an art form.

Contribution of Kantha towards the Emancipation of Women

In the words of Dr. Stella Kramrisch ‘The interpretation of the coloured design stitched into the
ground, and of the design result in a unity of substance and technique, by which a new texture
is effected; the old rags are not only joined but appear transformed; the white ground with its
ripples and patches is now alive with a throbbing or velvety texture; the dead rags are changed
into a vital and rich whole of multi-coloured pattern and meaning’ (Chakraborti & Bari).
Gradually, with advancement of time the status of the Kantha only as a product of personal
use changed and it started becoming a commercial product. Several NGOs, Self Help Groups,
and Craft Revivalists have ensured the revival of the craft and led to its commercialisation.
One of the earliest initiatives has been traced back to the 1920s where Sushen Mukherjee,
instigator of the ‘Amar Kutir Society for Rural Development’ summoned the craftswomen in
the district of Birbhum to come forward and make products using the craft of Kantha in
accordance to market demand. Thus, commercialising the products earned the artisan wages
that made them economically liberated. This financial liberation of the women paved way for
a more sustainable style of living. Shamlu Dedeja, Pritikina Goswami, Shubhashini Kohli and
Keya Sarkar are some of the pioneers who also played remarkable roles in creating a
commercial end use for the kantha products. Viswa-Bharti University instituted by
Rabindranath Tagore, also played a major role in making the craftswomen aware about market
trends and demands thereby training them to take up this craft as a profession. During the
1940s, the Kala Bhavan Institute of Fine Arts, a part under the Viswa-Bharti University
globalised the craft. This also led to the variation of products and the artisans adopted their
hobby as profession to earn their living.

Commercialisation of the craft has also led to many artisans become entrepreneur and start
their own craft centre which brought more artisans under their wing. Mrs. Pritikana Goswami,
the proud founder of the Sonarpur Kantha Craft Cluster, mentions that initially, she worked for
various boutiques, in and around Kolkata. While she was excelling in her work, she met the
Chairman of West Bengal Craft Council, Mrs. RubyPal Chowdhury. That was the turning point
in her career where she recreated a piece of kantha which was displayed at the Gurusaday
Museum at Joka. Upon seeing her skill and dedication towards the craft, Mrs. Chowdhury
allowed her to call and train more and more artisans. At this point of time, Mrs. Goswami,
started the Sonarpur Kantha Craft Cluster, which was financed by Mrs. Chowdhury. She also
revealed that her instincts as a woman got nurtured as she is now successful in liberating
herself as well as several other women economically.
Opportunities for the Artisans

Thousands of women in and around rural Bengal has adopted their hobby of making kantha
as their profession. They are often passed down the skill from their fore-runners while some
acquire it through rigorous training. This profession has provided them several opportunities
to work ahead for a more sustainable living condition. Some of them are as follows:

 The adoption of this profession has made the women, economically emancipated
thereby making them self-reliant which helps them provide better living conditions to
their families and children.
 The commercialisation and globalisation of the craft has helped several artisans to
come under the wings of Self-Help Groups, NGOs and other public and private
organisations to showcase their skill which would otherwise go unnoticed.

 The craftswomen have also been facilitated with the technical know how’s of the
industry and they have been imparted training regarding the market trends and
demands of the products.

 The women earn their own livelihood and this has helped them cater to educational
facilities for themselves as well as their children. The literate artisans have better
opportunities at understanding and absorbing the imparted training as well as
bargaining their wages.

These opportunities have made this housecraft all the more engaging to the housewives who
can take part in generating income for supporting their families along with their husbands.
However, young maidens have also come forward to take up this profession to be financially
independent and stable.

Constraints faced by the Artisans

Physical constraints

The craft of Kantha is an intricate art of pointillism. It requires immense skill and patience to
do the work. The women sit on floor and stitch the pieces. Crouching on the ground while
stitching for long hours causes severe back and neck pain. The ornate work also affects the
vision of the artisans as they work for long hours. In the dread of meeting the deadline, the
craftswomen suffer from several physical ailments such as backache, headache, poor
eyesight, etc.

Economic Constraints

Several thousands of women have been earning their livelihood through the needlecraft of
Kantha, and unlike any other craft this is solely, women-centric. This serves as a major
breakthrough for the emancipation of the women. This craft has prompted sustainable living
condition by economically self-relianting the women population. However, there are
constraints which these women face and some of them are as follows:
  The contractors or the middlemen often uses malpractice tactics to subjugate the
craftswomen. They exploit the artisans by making unjustified remuneration, and delay
in paying their wages.

 The craftswomen are paid their wages only after completing the work. Even at times of
need they get no advance payment which in turn affects their association with the work.

 Sattwick Dey Biswas, in his paper stated that it was observed ‘that the individual
craftswomen are dependent on the contractors for the supply of raw materials and are
therefore prone to market fluctuations which bring in uncertainty and risk in production.
A steep rise in the price of raw materials can therefore eat into their wage bill’ (Biswas
& Roy).

 The basis of deciding a craftswoman’s wages depends on how the artisans were paid
the previous year, and not in accordance to their skill. This makes the artisans feel
cheated as the amount of work they do has to no relativity to that of the previous years.

 The wages of the artisans also depend on their bargaining skills. This causes a lot of
resentment among the craftswomen.

There are several loopholes regarding the economic system in this craft sector which has
adversely affected the conditions of the artisans and their attachment with the craft.

Role of Stake Holders for Building a more Effective and Formal System

Several thousands of craftswomen have been benefitted through this profession. They are
financially stable and independent and have been supporting their families, providing them a
better living. The artisans however have severe economic grievances owing to their
unprofessional workways. Their wages depend on their bargaining skills and not on their
efficacy of completing the work. They are paid unjustified remuneration and face often delay
in payments even after completion of the work. This has also been making new artisans
paranoid about taking up the profession especially the ones belonging below the poverty line.
Lack of education also make them a victim of the vicious loopholes and malpractices of the
middlemen. Individual artisans also face setback from the market-oriented strategies. This
happens because they have little to no knowledge about market trends. This also make them
fall in the trap of middlemen who act as the communicator between the artisans and the
designers whom they work for. All these inadequacies can be avoided gradually if the stake
holders come forward and build a more effective and formal value chain.

An institutional platform will help improve the relation of the craftswomen with their employer
or designers. This will help them do away with the middlemen and will cautiously increase their
wage level. It will also result in a stipulated wage policy for the artisans where they will be paid
in accordance to the amount of the work done. This will help the craftswomen belonging below
the poverty line. If they are in dire need of money, they will always have the option of working
more to earn extra stipend. The artisans should also be imparted training about the trendy
designs and colours which will help them create more innovative motifs and designs keeping
in mind their own imaginations. Commercialisation of the craft has ceased the expression of
the women’ envisage as they are given the designs, motifs and even the colour combinations
of the thread. Training them about the market trends will help them come up with spectacular
designs using their own creativity while referencing the ongoing trends. Thus, it will help
restore the role of Kantha being the personal expression of the artisans’ dreams and
aspirations.

However, there has been initiatives taken by several Self-Help Groups, NGOs, and other
organisations for creating this formal system of value chain. During the 1980s Shamlu Dedeja,
a pioneer craft revivalist came up and formed Self Help Enterprise (SHE), which has brought
under its wing several artisans and impart them necessary training. The artisans are made
aware of their supply chain and they work accordingly. Mrs. Pritikana Goswami another
eminent craft revivalist instigated the Sonarpur Kantha Craft Cluster, where several young
maidens and even married women are working. They deal with designers and clients all
around the world especially, from UK and Japan.

However, there are many more unregistered craftswomen all along West Bengal, who need
the support of these institutional platforms to impart them basic education and training, making
them aware about their working status. This will altogether be a huge step in revitalising the
craft and helping the craftswomen.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion we can say that, the needlecraft of kantha has transformed from a token of love
and regard to a luxury product catering to a niche market. This adaptation has made the
artisans enter new vista of economic emancipation. They have been facilitated with various
opportunities owing to the craft. From being financially independent, to showcasing their skill
they have archived commendable achievements. However, they have face physical as well
as economic constraints due to their working conditions and lack of value and supply chain
knowledge respectively. These restrictions can be done away gradually with the help of SHGs,
NGOS, and other public and private origanitions. The institutional platforms will forma basis
for a more effective and formal economic system for the craftswomen thereby uplifting their
meagre conditions.

REFERENCES:

Biswas, S. D., & P. R. (n.d.). Opportunities and Constraints of Kantha-stitch craftswomen in

Santiniketan: A value chain analysis. Journal of Social Work and Social Development.
Retrieved May 6, 2019, from
https://www.academia.edu/7637451/Opportunities_and_Constraints_of_the_Kantha-
stitch_craftswomen_in_Santiniketan_a_value_chain_analysis.

Chakraborti, S., & Bari, R. K. (n.d.). Handicrafts of West Bengal. Calcutta: Institute of Art &
Handicraft.

Chauhan, A. (2009, July 17). Revealing the History of Kantha. Retrieved May 7, 2019, from
https://ezinearticles.com/?Revealing-the-History-of-Kantha&id=2623377
Chowdhury, R. D. (2008). The Lotus and Kantha. Retrieved May 7, 2019, from
https://www.academia.edu/822822/Lotus_and_the_Kantha.

Chowdhury, R. D. (n.d.). Semiotic Study of the Motifs in Nakshi Kantha. Retrieved May 7,
2019, from
https://www.academia.edu/653841/SEMIOTIC_STUDY_OF_THE_MOTIFS_IN_NAKSHI_KA
NTHA.

Crafts of West Bengal. (1994). United States of America: Grantha Corporation.

Franceschi, S. (n.d.). Kantha- The Sustainability Sutra. Retrieved May 7, 2019, from
https://www.academia.edu/34422876/KANTHA_THE_SUSTAINABILITY_SUTRA.

Kantha Embroidery. (2013). Retrieved May 7, 2019, from https://www.utsavpedia.com/motifs-

embroideries/kantha-embroidery/

Palit, S., & Debnath, D. (2017). Kantha Embroidery- A Women-Centric Path Towards
Empowerment of Artisans in West Bengal. Asian Journal of Science and Technology,08(10).
Retrieved May 6, 2019, from https://www.academia.edu/37889633/KANTHA_EMBROIDERY-
A_WOMAN-
CENTRIC_PATH_TOWARDS_EMPOWERMENT_FOR_ARTISANS_IN_WEST_BENGAL.

Palit, S., & Debnath, D. (2018). The Depiction of Socio-Cultural Change through
Transformation in Motifs: A Case Study of the Kantha Embroidery of Bengal. Universal
Review,07(10). Retrieved May 7, 2019, from http://universalreview.org/gallery/83.oct urj -
as.pdf

Palit, S. (2017, March 08). Kantha: From Women Empowerment to Crafting a Niche Presence
at Catwalks. Retrieved May 7, 2019, from http://stylefileindia.com/kantha-from-women-
empowerment-to-crafting-a-niche-presence-at-catwalks-2/

(n.d.). Retrieved May 6, 2019, from https://strandofsilk.com/journey-map/west-bengal/kantha-

embroidery/history

Roy, P. B., & Rajbanshi, G. (2014). Kantha stich and its impact on Rural Women
Empowerment: An Indian Case Study. Human Rights International Research Journal,02(1).
Retrieved May 7, 2019, from http://www.imrfjournals.in/pdf/MATHS/HRIRJ-VOLUME-2-
ISSUE-1-2014/33.pdf

The craft of Kantha [Web log post]. (2018, January 22). Retrieved May 6, 2019, from
https://www.worldartcommunity.com/blog/2018/01/the-craft-of-kantha/
APPENDIX:

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE KANTHA ARTISANS:

1. Name of the Artisan:

2. Age of the Artisan:
3. Why did you choose this craft?
4. How long have you been working in the cluster?
5. How many hours do you work daily?
6. Are you the only earning member in your family?
7. Do you get paid on a daily or monthly basis?
8. What is your average monthly income?
9. Do the number of products you embroider in a month impact the increment or decrement
of wages?
10. Have you ever faced any delay in payment or unjustified remuneration?
11. Do you get paid in advance or only after completing the work?
12. Do you have any physical ailment owing to the working hours and the working condition?
13. What according to you is required to improve your working condition?
14. What happens when there is a lot of work pressure? Do you work extra hours and get paid
for it?
15. On what basis do the master craftswoman decides the wages? Is there any form of bargain
in between the artisan and the master craftswoman?
16. Are you aware of how much these products are sold for in the national and international
market?
17. Do you think what you are paid is justified in accordance to the selling price of the products
in the market?
18. Are you aware of the supply chain system of this business? If yes, then do you plan on
starting your own unit sometime in the future?
19. Will you want to work under an institutional platform where you will be made aware of the
latest trends, the market demand-supply, and various other loopholes of the craft?
20. Do you suggest any change in the system?