Four Veined Leaves In Navy Blue Frames Panama Mola

Four Veined Leaves In Navy Blue Frames Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Four dark leaves traced with fine veins sit inside framed panels, and the small hooks between them give the whole panel the look of a butterfly opening its wings. Seen from a distance it shifts into something else entirely, and that surprise is half the fun. At 16 inches wide and 12 inches high, it is a good fit for a standard frame. Hang it in your den or study, where it feels right at home in the fall.

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: 12"
SKU: 22051758T