A Four Cornered Spiral Mountain Kuna Mola

No creature here, only pattern. A tall triangle sits at the centre of this panel, quartered by a stripe of pink and blue, and each quarter holds its own stepped spiral, one in royal blue, one in magenta, one in orange and one in grass green. Around it wide bands of pale sky blue edged in orange fold back and forth to the borders, and in every pocket they leave sits a deep burgundy shape with a slip of green, yellow, teal or pink inside it. The ground is solid black. It is 14 inches wide and 10 inches high, a graphic piece that hangs well on its own. Every line is cut and turned by hand in the reverse appliqué the Guna are known for.

A mola is a hand stitched panel made by the Guna people of Panama, once known as the Kuna. Several layers of colored cotton are stacked, then cut down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and every raw edge is turned and stitched closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué. Guna women have been refining it for generations, and the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest where they live.

TraderBrock has bought directly from Guna, Embera, Wounaan and Ngäbe artisans since 1991, and sales revenue goes back into those communities for education, medical care, tools and land. This panel came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and it can be hand washed. No two molas are ever alike, and small variations in size, stitching and color are normal in handmade textiles.

Width: 14"
Height: 10"
SKU: PM1390T

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