Twin Rainbow Flower Fans On Key Frets Panama Mola

Twin Rainbow Flower Fans On Key Frets Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two flowers open like fans, each built from curved stripes of blue, pink, orange, yellow, green and purple, with a dark leaf on top and a short stem below, set inside a white and black key fret border on burgundy. A cheerful pair like this can lift a dull morning before your coffee is even poured. It measures 16 inches wide and 13 inches high, and its three layers of cotton give it a soft weight that frames nicely. Hang it over a breakfast table or in a hallway you walk through often.

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"
SKU: 21090709E