Two Human Faced Animals With Square Patches Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two dogs with calm human faces stand in bright frames, their backs patched with small squares and their heads hatched in fine stitching, a blend of person and animal that gives the panel a dreamlike, storytelling feel. Their gentle expressions are oddly comforting, as if they understand you. At 15.5 inches wide and 12 inches high, it is a good size for a frame or a pillow front. Hang it in a library, a creative studio or your bedroom.
Molas are built by stacking several layers of colored cotton, then cutting down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and turning every raw edge under and stitching it closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué, and a good panel is judged by how fine the stitches are and how many layers deep the cutting goes. This one came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast, where the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and no two are ever alike.
Founded in 1991, TraderBrock celebrates the handcraft of Latin America's indigenous peoples. Every piece comes from Guna, Wounaan and Emberá artisans we know by name, and all profits are reinvested in their communities for education, tools and the teaching of ancestral techniques. Buying from TraderBrock helps keep their culture and their traditions alive.
Width: 15.5"
Height: 12"
SKU: 22051539T
Free U.S. shipping on orders over $100. Every piece is packed carefully and shipped from Apollo Beach, Florida.
You have 14 days from delivery to request a return. See our return policy for details.
For 35 years, TraderBrock has brought handmade artisan work from Panama, Haiti, and across Central America to collectors around the world. Every piece we carry begins in the hands of an artisan we know personally. Molas stitched in Guna homes, tagua carved by Wounaan hands, masks woven in the Darién, paintings brushed in Port-au-Prince studios. Our inventory runs over 14,000 pieces, curated from direct relationships that go back decades.
