Two Flute Players In Hammocks Panama Mola

Two Flute Players In Hammocks Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two figures lounge in slung hammocks playing long flutes, a true slice of Guna home life, where the hammock is the favorite place to rest and flutes are played at gatherings and celebrations. It feels like a lazy afternoon with nowhere to be, and you can almost hear the tune. It is 15 inches wide and 11 inches high, a nice size for a frame or a cushion on a porch swing. Put it on a screened porch, in a music room or anywhere you go to unwind.

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: 15"
Height: 11"
SKU: 22051812T