A Two Headed Cormorant Facing Both Ways Kuna Mola

A Two Headed Cormorant Facing Both Ways Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. One body carries two heads that look in opposite directions, drawn in a warm coral outline on black, and four clawed feet grip the bottom edge. It feels like being watched from both sides at once, in the friendliest possible way. At 16 inches wide and 9 inches high it makes a long, low piece that sits well above a desk or along a shelf, and you can frame it without any fuss. Hang it over a doorway, where something that looks both ways seems right at home.

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: PM0493T