Turquoise Bird Pair With Striped Wings Mola

Two birds sit side by side low in this panel with spiral eyes and hooked bills, their bodies striped in lime, magenta, white and orange. Above them float two pairs of raised wings, each one cut into fine vertical bars and edged in pink or gold. Bright turquoise lines outline the whole design and loop off into maze hooks over the wine red ground. The panel measures 15.5 inches wide by 12 inches high and is cut and stitched entirely by hand.

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: 15.5"
Height: 12"
SKU: 22040275T