A Bird Thumbing A Ride On A Turtle Panama Mola

A bird with wide magenta wings, each one filled with a squared spiral, perches right on the shell of a turtle at the centre of this black panel. The turtle's shell is a patchwork of red, green and lime wedges, its head pokes out to the right, and the bird's white feet dangle down over it like a passenger who has found a slow but reliable ride. An orange line runs around the whole scene as a border, and the ground is scattered with short dashes in blue, green, red and yellow. It is 15 inches wide and 11 inches high. Every piece is cut and turned by hand in reverse applique.

Molas are traditionally hand stitched panels 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 the raw edges are turned and stitched closed. The technique is called reverse appliqué. On this panel the artisan worked with a sewing machine rather than closing every edge by hand, which keeps the lines crisp and makes it a sturdy, practical choice for a pillow cover or a sewing project.

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: 15"
Height: 11"
SKU: PM2604T

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