A Pair Of One Eyed Watchers Kuna Mola

A Pair Of One Eyed Watchers Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two cyclops stand side by side, each with bow tie shapes stacked down the chest and a wide fanned skirt below, with a small box sitting between them like a shared secret. There is a goofy charm to them that wins over even people who claim they do not like odd art. It is 16 inches wide and 9 inches high, a wide format that suits a long shelf or a frame above a desk. Your den, a game room or a dorm wall would all suit these two.

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: 9"
SKU: PM0435T