Toucan With Spread Wing Among Blossoms Mola

Toucan With Spread Wing Among Blossoms Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A toucan fills the panel with its heavy curved bill striped in bands, the oversized bill that makes up about a third of a real toucan's length. It has a tropical swagger that warms up a space the moment you walk in. At 17 inches wide and 12 inches high, it is a good size to frame and hang at eye level. A sunroom, a dining room or a wall by your patio door would suit it.

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: 12"
SKU: 22040271T