Two Plump Birds With Rainbow Barred Chests Panama Mola

Two Plump Birds With Rainbow Barred Chests Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two plump partridges face each other above a pair of leaf filled baskets, their round chests barred in narrow stripes that a Guna maker cuts one thin channel after another. They look so pleased with themselves that it is hard not to feel cheerful too. At 17 inches wide and 13.5 inches high, it fills a good sized frame with plenty of color. It would brighten your farmhouse kitchen or the wall above a breakfast table.

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: 17"
Height: 13.5"
SKU: 22051339T