Kasuti
カスティ刺繍 / living tradition / Technique / Textile Traditions
Counted-thread embroidery from Karnataka, constructing geometric flowers, birds and architectural forms from short and stepped lines. Gavanti, Murgi, Negi and Menthi have distinct roles. Its relationship to cloth structure and returning stitch paths distinguishes it from generic cross-stitch.
At a glance
Visual cues
- Short horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines following cloth structure
- Stepped outlines and small geometric forms
- Visible ground between separate coloured motifs
- Returning line stitches distinguished from filled areas
Best used for
- Teaching how fabric counts and stitch paths become shapes
- Working with makers to place small geometric units on garments or household cloth
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Dictionary entry
- Type
- Label enlarged fabric diagrams outside the stitching and connect each to its process name.
- Composition
- Test one unit on the actual cloth before extending the composition with consistent lengths and intervals.
- Material
- Use a countable ground and make samples that allow the front and reverse to be compared.
- Caution
- Not every stitch produces identical front and reverse surfaces. Preserve differences such as Negi, and distinguish origin traditions from established historical dates.
- Further study
- Gavanti, Murgi, Negi and Menthi stitches / D'Source — Kasuti Embroidery, Karnataka / V&A — historical ravike from Dharwar
Related entries
- Kantha (カンタ刺繍)Same Textile Traditions lineage.Compare Kasuti and Kantha
- Phulkari (プルカリ刺繍)Same Textile Traditions lineage.Compare Kasuti and Phulkari
More from Textile Traditions
Continue through styles in the same Textile Traditions family, prioritised by shared effects.
- Batik (バティック（ジャワ更紗）)Shared effects: Intimacy / Calm.
- Tapa (Barkcloth) (タパ)Shared effects: Intimacy / Calm.
- Adire (アディレ)Shared effects: Intimacy / Calm.
Browse all Textile Traditions entries
Cite this entry
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- Link
- https://indexstyle.org/styles/kasuti
- Markdown
- [Kasuti — IndexStyle](https://indexstyle.org/styles/kasuti)
- HTML
- <a href="https://indexstyle.org/styles/kasuti">Kasuti — IndexStyle</a>