Two Striped Birds Beneath Green Leaf Panels Mola

Two birds stand side by side on a burgundy ground, their bodies filled with tall vertical stripes in pink, jade, gold, violet and cream that read like a folded fan. Each has a round spiral eye ringed in white and small clawed feet at the bottom. Above them sit two long panels holding stitched leaves, one edged in green and one in white, and square scrolls close off the lower corners. The panel measures 16.5 inches wide by 13 inches high. Hand cut and hand sewn 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: 16.5"
Height: 13"
SKU: 22040151T