The Nakshi Kantha is a traditional textile art generally done by the people of the Bengali race, mostly of West Bengal. It is a very commendable craft prepared on white cotton cloth, mostly recycled from old saris or dhotis.
The embroideries are arranged rhythmically and systematically along designs that run in straight lines outlining the sari borders. These embroidered lines run parallel along the entire body of the Kantha, maintaining synchrony and balance with the total composition. The motifs could be anything from flowers, leaves, animals, birds, and symbols, all bearing cultural significance on their own with the inherited story-telling tradition passed from one generation to another. Traditionally in a Nakshi Kantha, the making was done by women of rural households. In the making of Nakshi Kantha, old cloth pieces are folded facing one another so as to obtain a quilt, wrap, or decorative item, and stitched together with running stitches. Besides usefulness, all the pieces convey a different story as a space for personal expression, emotions, and comments on daily living.

Today, Nakshi Kantha stands as a symbol of the artistic heritage of the tribes of Bengal and a means of livelihood that developed through the craft's revival and promotion of folk art. Its remarkably intricate hand embroidery has achieved worldwide fame and continues to inspire modern-day textile design.