Seed Pods And Leafy Branches On Wine Mola

Two fat seed pods sit at the center of this panel, split open to show bright yellow and green centers, with leafy branches curving in from either side. Each small leaf carries a stitched cross mark, and the whole plant is framed by a purple and orange labyrinth that runs out to the wine red edges. At 17 inches wide and 12 inches high, it hangs well on its own or beside a second panel. The design is cut through layers of cotton and finished by hand in reverse appliqué.

A mola is a hand stitched panel made by the Guna people of Panama, once known as the Kuna. Several layers of colored cotton are stacked, then cut down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and every raw edge is turned and stitched closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué. Guna women have been refining it for generations, and the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest where they live.

TraderBrock has bought directly from Guna, Embera, Wounaan and Ngäbe artisans since 1991, and sales revenue goes back into those communities for education, medical care, tools and land. This panel came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and it can be hand washed. No two molas are ever alike, and small variations in size, stitching and color are normal in handmade textiles.

Width: 17"
Height: 12"
SKU: 22040257T