Broad Winged Bird With Rainbow Stripes Panama Mola

Broad Winged Bird With Rainbow Stripes Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The bird stretches almost corner to corner, its wing and body laid out in long striped bands, with a small four petal flower and a leafy sprig set into panels off to one side. It carries a sense of open road and freedom that lifts the mood of a space. At 15 inches wide and 11 inches high, it frames neatly and fits a shelf, a desk or a narrow wall. Hang it where you start your day, maybe beside the coat hooks by the door.

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"
Height: 11"
SKU: 22051740T