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Village Dogs Drawn Half From Memory Panama Mola

Two dog figures fill this wide panel, outlined in strong yellow and turned away from each other with small bright eyes. Below and between them the cloth breaks into dense maze shapes in white, deep maroon, pink, blue, orange, green and purple, so the animals look like they are standing in a pattern that will not hold still. The ground is black and the drawing is bold and unusual. The upper edge is plain and unbound, which is simply how this one was finished. It is 20 inches wide and 12 inches high. The shapes were cut down through layered cotton and the raw edges turned under by hand in reverse applique.

A mola is a hand stitched panel made by the Guna people of Panama, once known as the Kuna. Several layers of colored cotton are stacked, then cut down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and every raw edge is turned and stitched closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué. Guna women have been refining it for generations, and the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest where they live.

TraderBrock has bought directly from Guna, Embera, Wounaan and Ngäbe artisans since 1991, and sales revenue goes back into those communities for education, medical care, tools and land. This panel came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and it can be hand washed. No two molas are ever alike, and small variations in size, stitching and color are normal in handmade textiles.

Width: 20"
Height: 12"
SKU: PM3646T