Round Bodied Reef Fish In Neon Outline Panama Mola

A plump reef fish fills this panel, its body divided into a pink and gold belly, a dark scalloped head and fins worked in rows of embroidered chevrons. Neon yellow outlines lift the whole design off the deep wine red ground, and a leafy tail fan and tall striped bands finish the right side. It is 16 inches wide and 11.5 inches high, a good size for a pillow front. Fine chain and running stitch details are added by hand after the appliqué layers are cut.

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"
Height: 11.5"
SKU: 22051592T