Clawed Creature With Three Hearts On Black Mola

Clawed Creature With Three Hearts On Black Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A wide armed creature spreads across the panel with a claw at the end of every limb and three leaf veined hearts down its middle, while two small turtles walk along the bottom edge. It is strange and lovable at once, the sort of oddball that becomes a household favorite. At 16 inches wide and 13.5 inches high, it frames well and makes a real talking point. Hang it in your den, a game room or a teenager's bedroom.

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: 16"
Height: 13.5"
SKU: 22040321T