Vintage Black And Purple Toucan Bird With Leaves Panama Mola

Vintage Black And Purple Toucan Bird With Leaves Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A toucan with a long striped beak sits between two large leaves, outlined in hot pink on black cloth with a fringe of rainbow color below. The veins of each leaf are stitched in fine lines, and small cut shapes float in every corner. It measures 16 inches wide and 10 inches high. Your tropical room, porch or reading nook would suit it well.

From Jan at MolaMagic: Point a black light at this toucan once it is home with you. I promise a surprise or two is waiting in that cloth.

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.

MolaMagic was founded by Janet Marie Brockman with a simple but powerful mission: to help indigenous women of color in Panama share their art with the world. For over twenty years, all profits have gone right back into the artisan community, supporting education, medical care, land, tools, and daily needs. Buying a MolaMagic mola means you are part of that story too.

Width: 16"
Height: 10"
SKU: 22053174T

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