Vintage Rainbow Fancy Bird With A Curling Tail Panama Mola

Vintage Rainbow Fancy Bird With A Curling Tail Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A fancy bird faces left on black, its wing a rainbow of blue, pink, green, orange and yellow chevrons, with a square eye and a long tail of printed cloth curling below. Patterned trim tucked behind the cut channels adds a busy, cheerful texture you only see up close. A pink seed pod shape sits at the left of this panel, which measures 14 inches wide and 10 inches high. Give it a sunny spot in your hallway or sunroom, where the tail can be seen from across the room.

From Jan at MolaMagic: The patterned background cloth is what gives this bird its character. Guna makers used that trick a lot in the 1960s, and you can see why.

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.

MolaMagic was founded by Janet Marie Brockman with a simple but powerful mission: to help indigenous women of color in Panama share their art with the world. For over twenty years, all profits have gone right back into the artisan community, supporting education, medical care, land, tools, and daily needs. Buying a MolaMagic mola means you are part of that story too.

Width: 14"
Height: 10"
SKU: PM3594T

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