100% VINTAGE SARI SILK SCARF
INDIA
These lovely scarf shawls are" One-of-a-kind". Each is carefully hand crafted by artisan women in rural West Bengal India. The silk scarf is crafted from two layers of hand-picked, repurposed and up cycled silk saris. The silk scarf shawl is then joined and strengthened with fine, all-over kantha embroidery. Each scarf bears the artisans signature embroidered on to the silk. This is sustainable clothing at its best.
A humble art, created today as it has been for centuries in small, unassuming village homes. This ancient folk tradition has a timeless appeal, and a powerful, positive economic & social impact on the women who create it.
Kantha is a centuries old tradition of stitching cloth, and one of the very oldest forms of embroidery, which can be traced back to 1500bc. Mainly seen in the East Indian states of West Bengal and Orissa, and in Bangladesh. A very simple embroidery stitch – a running stitch - Kantha refers both to the stitch and the cloth it creates.
Kantha has been used for centuries to mend and “make good” textiles; its ripple effect across the fabric adds strength and making the fabric serviceable again.
This ancient craft was, and still is today, passed down from mother to daughter. It is a skill learnt in childhood by millions of rural women. Many of these women are impoverished and live in socially conservative communities. The stitching of these scarves offers a vehicle for economic self-sufficiency, independence and empowerment.
Slight variations in size 17-22" 78-85"
FABRIC CONTENT & CARE
Fabric: 100% silk with cotton embroidery
Each Scarf is mid-weight and ranging from soft to slightly stiff, depending on the sari fabric used.
Gentle hand wash in cold water. Do not soak. Drip dry in shade.
Origin: West Bengal, India
