Kasuti embroidery from past to present
One of the world´s most fashionable embroideries is, without doubt, the Indian embroidery named Kasuti. The name derives from the words Kai (meaning hand) and Suti (meaning cotton). It’s therefore a handmaid activity that uses cotton.
It seems that its origins go back to the 17 th century, a time when female courtiers in the Mysore Kingdom had to master a number of 64 arts, Kasuti included amongst. Others say that the Lambini clan, originating from Rajasthan, settled down in Karnataka and brought along the Kasuti art.
Kasuti embroideries were used especially on Sarees, large unstitched dresses worn by Indian women that needed to have a black silk Kasuti embroidered saree as part of their bridal trousseau. It was called Chandrakali saree.
A Kasuti embroidery uses specific patterns like chariot, gopura, lamps, palanquin and conch shells, on textures such as hand woven cotton, fine silks and even modern day synthetic fabrics. The desired pattern is obtained by a variety of stitches named Ganti, Neyge, Murgi and Menthe. Ganti is a double stitch that marks vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. It is the most common stitch used. Neyge is a hand stitch run in and out, used mainly for large designs because of its woven style. Murgi is a line stitch that is followed by sharp turns in alternating directions and Menthe is a two stitch shape forming a cross or X, primarily used in architectural designs.
What makes the Kasuti embroidery an amazing art piece is the absence of knots. Clothes remain identical on both sides, no matter what patterns or motifs are used, so basically the embroidery can be applied on any type of clothing. Opinions are divided but most people say that Kasuti embroidery used on a thick material makes great contrast with dark shaded colors.
Designs include flowers or a large number of animals. They also include a variety of geometrical shapes, symbolic motifs specific in temple ceremonials. The embroidery is laboriously crafted by using extra threads and the base itself gives the colors needed. It sometimes involves up to five thousand hand stitches. The result is excellent and the effect is very subtle in spite of the rich format.
Larger designs may show images of elephants with howdah, temples, platforms of basil, the traditional bull named Nandi etc.
Other designs can be found under the Kamala category: Gandle, Gopi or even Chittu. The category Gopura, Gundala and Dagabaji, is also worth considering.
Kasuti embroidery is therefore a decoration in itself, an ingenuous method to turn ordinary fabrics into true masterpieces of the Indian culture. With time has spread beyond its traditional frontiers and is now used in a wide range of dress materials. A Saree adorned by a Kasuti embroidery will be the first stop for a women traveling to India . Whether an outfit for a masked ball, a surprise gift for your best friend or simply a cloth that no one else has, it is proof of good taste and exotic view.
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Related Tags:
Kasuti embroidery, Kathi embroidery, Mexican embroidery, Modern apparel
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