The Ancient Art of the Kantha Quilt

How an ancient Vedic art became a design classic in the west.

Photos by Laura Harwood

It is no exaggeration to state that we are under an invasion of Kantha quilts in our home. My partner is happily obsessed with them. As well as supporting her textile business on Etsy, these extraordinary vintage pieces are now strewn throughout our home. As well as gracing our old iron bedstead as quilts, they have been fashioned into cosy pillows, vibrant, colourful throws for our chairs, and even one-of-kind curtains .

The UK invasion of Kantha began roughly ten years ago, imported from the Indian sub-continent. They have quickly become a highly desirable design element of the well curated home.

Kantha quilts are an exclusively Indian tradition, hailing from Bangladesh as well as many Indian states such as Rajasthan, Bengal and Gujurat.

The word ‘Kantha’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Kontha’ meaning rags. The quilts are traditionally made from many layers of old, paper thin, sarees and dhotis, that having ended their useful life as clothing, are now re-born as attractive and useful blankets.

Old cloth can be highly auspicious in India, having an almost talismanic quality, keeping the owner safe from harm. However, this is…