Vintage Fern Fronds In Four Boxes Panama Mola

Vintage Fern Fronds In Four Boxes Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Four fern fronds lie in boxes edged in orange, yellow, lime and blue, joined at the middle on black with a pink and red zigzag print in the channels. Sawtooth edges ring each frond box, a fussy detail cut and turned by hand. Size is 16 inches wide and 10 inches high. Hang it where you want a calm, orderly pattern.

From Jan at MolaMagic: I can tell this one is vintage from the background material, which is what really makes the mola.

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.

MolaMagic was founded by Janet Marie Brockman with a simple but powerful mission: to help indigenous women of color in Panama share their art with the world. For over twenty years, all profits have gone right back into the artisan community, supporting education, medical care, land, tools, and daily needs. Buying a MolaMagic mola means you are part of that story too.

Width: 16"
Height: 10"
SKU: PM0499T