Pair of Panamanian Kuna Mola Reverse Applique Textiles, ex-Collection

Central America, Panama, Guna (Cuna) culture. A pair of mola panels from the collection of researchers Ann Parker and Avon Neal, authors of the standard 1977 reference Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. The panels, worked in hand-stitched reverse appliqué, were collected from Guna women in the San Blas Islands of Panama by Parker and Neal during the 1960s and 1970s. The Parker and Neal publication remains a standard reference cited by institutions worldwide, including the Smithsonian. Each panel is hand-stitched in the reverse-appliqué technique, in which layers of cotton cloth are cut away to reveal the colors beneath and the edges are turned and stitched down by hand. The first panel, circa 1960s, is worked in three layers of reverse appliqué with embroidery accents on a black background. Pictorial composition depicts imagery adapted from commercial packaging, featuring a stylized bird with a leaf-detailed wing at left, derived from Pingüino brand match box imagery, and a standing figure wearing a hat and carrying objects at right, referencing the Kool cigarettes brand. The incorporated banner scroll text and numbers reflect the Guna practice of using text phonetically and aesthetically, not always as a true representation of traditional words. A compelling example of the Guna tradition of incorporating observed commercial imagery into the mola format, reinterpreting foreign brand iconography through an indigenous visual language. A similar photo of this mola can be found on page 234 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal. The second panel, circa 1970s, features a large zoomorphic spirit figure, distinguished by a rare upper border band containing multicolored text or symbolic letter forms. This mola represents a fascinating moment in Guna textile evolution when makers were actively processing and integrating new visual information from increased contact with Western culture, transforming letters, words, and foreign iconography into decorative elements that served traditional aesthetic and possibly spiritual functions. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 205551

Estimate:$150

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