Four Orange Windows Full Of Autumn Leaves Guna Mola

Four Orange Windows Full Of Autumn Leaves Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Each rounded window holds a small stand of leaves veined in thread, and no two groups match, one leaning left, one split down the middle, one setting a pale leaf beside a dark one. It recalls the simple fun of a walk through the park when the season turns. It is 13 inches wide and 11 inches high, nearly square and easy to place on a shelf or in a small frame. Try it in your dining room in the fall or on a kitchen wall all year long.

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: 13"
Height: 11"
SKU: PM1799T

MACHINE WASHABLE To clean, machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle tumble dry on low, do not bleach or iron