Two Serpents Taking The Long Way Kuna Mola

Two Serpents Taking The Long Way Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two heavy serpents loop and double back across the ground, with fine stitch lines running down their spines, and each one ends in a head with a rosette for an eye. Following those curves from end to end becomes a slow little game you will find yourself playing more than once. At 13.5 inches wide and 10 inches high, it is the right size for a framed piece on a narrow wall. It belongs in a study, a den or a hallway where people pause on their way past.

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: 13.5"
Height: 10"
SKU: PM0413T