Two Pointed Eared Animals Facing Off Kuna Mola
Two Pointed Eared Animals Facing Off Kuna Mola
Two Pointed Eared Animals Facing Off Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two pointed eared animals meet nose to nose at the center, one dark and one pale, while blocky zigzag mazes fill the side panels and leafy rosettes bloom along the bottom. It feels like walking in on a standoff between old friends, and you half expect one of them to blink. At 16 inches wide and 13 inches high it is nearly square and frames up without any fuss. Hang it in a family room or a kid's bedroom where the face off can start a story or 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: 13"
SKU: PM0363T