The Rooster Who Owns The Yard Kuna Mola

The Rooster Who Owns The Yard Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A rooster struts with its chest thrown out and its comb boxed at the top, while strong outlines carry the whole design and break the ground into blocks of dashes. That swagger is contagious, and it is a fine thing to see first thing in the morning. It is 14 inches wide and 8.5 inches high, a long, low shape that sits nicely over a doorway or a stove. Your kitchen is the obvious home for it, though a farmhouse hallway works too.

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: 14"
Height: 8.5"
SKU: PM0433T