Haridra Hand Painted Cotton Shawl - Kantha Stitched - Pacific Sands

Silpinwita’s work runs under the label ‘HARIDRA.’ In Sanskrit, “haridra” means yellow, one of the basic and primary colours. Yellow is the colour of sunlight and is associated with warmth and spirituality. Each work is unique, distinct and entirely hand made.

This shawl is a lightweight cotton handwoven in Bengal, India and hand-painted with natural dyes using the ancient technique of Kalamkari.  The final step is kantha stitching - running stitches done by hand to give the piece added depth and character. It can be styled as a scarf, hung on a wall as a piece of art, or draped across a table as a runner. 

The colour pallet is achieved with natural dyes; the black colour is created through a fermentation process using scrap iron, molasses, mahua flower, chickpea flour and betel leaf. Other colours come to life with Indian madder root, catechu (cutch), indigo, onion skins, marigold flowers, pomegranate rinds, turmeric and myrobalan.

This collection is designed by Silpinwita Das, daughter of master Kalamkari painter Ajit Das from Bengal. Silpinwita's works are inspired by folk art and her studies of the landscape of Shantiniketan.

Fiber: 100% cotton - handwoven.

Process: Masterfully hand painted with natural dyes by Kalamkari artisans in Bengal, India. Finished by hand with a running kantha stitch.

Size is approx. 38" x 90"

*This piece is one of a kind.

Meet the artisan.

Silpinwita Das was given the UNESCO-WCC Award of Excellence in 2016 for her hand painting work with natural dyes.