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Reverse Applique Needlework Kuna Mola Panama Blue Rayed Star Guna 18x12.5 in

A Blue Rayed Star Turning At The Middle Of Everything Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The great star opens in ring after ring around a round medallion holding a cross at its heart, the still point everything else turns around, while dozens of small maze hooks scatter through the field like faraway stars. Standing in front of it gives you that small, dizzy feeling of lying on your back under a clear night sky. At 18 inches wide and 12.5 inches high, it is a generous size for a wall panel. Give it a wall of its own in a living room, a meditation space or a bedroom.

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: 18"
Height: 12.5"
SKU: PM1643T