Wall hanging

This embroidered wall-hanging was made and donated by the Southwark Bengali Women's group. The group offers its members education classes, summer trips and outings, sewing classes, keep fit and health sessions.

The hanging consists of three embroidered images on a cotton panel. At the top is a village scene, in the middle a sailboat on a river, and at the bottom a snake charmer. On the panel is sewn 'Bengali Women's Group established 1936' in both Bengali and English.

The embroidery style, called Nakshi Khatha and meaning 'in the image of', is typical of Bangladesh. It is said the name comes from an old Bengali story in which two lovers were forbidden to see each other by their families. To communicate with her lover, the young woman would send him embroidered images.