Orange Crab With Ringed Circles On Black Mola

Orange Crab With Ringed Circles On Black Mola is a hand sewn textile panel made by the Guna people of Panama, known for generations as the Kuna. A big crab sits square on black with its legs curling out to both sides, and a string of small ringed circles runs across its shell like beads. It has the confidence of something that has never had to move quickly. At 20.5 inches wide and 15.5 inches high this is one of the largest panels we carry, big enough to frame on its own and hold a wall. Made for a coastal room, a beach house, or anywhere you want one piece to do all the talking.

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: 20.5"
Height: 15.5"
SKU: 22030401T

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