Four Footed Pots Brimming With Blossoms Panama Mola

Four Footed Pots Brimming With Blossoms Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Each pot stands in its own compartment with a fringe of little hanging loops along the rim, and no two hold the same plant, one has plain leaves while another carries a sunburst flower and a round bloom. Looking at it feels a bit like walking past a neighbor's windowsill garden on a sunny morning. Measuring 13 inches wide and 9.5 inches high, it is just right for a small frame. Try it in a kitchen, a sunroom or a hallway where your plants already live.

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"
Height: 9.5"
SKU: PM2669T