Swans Leaning In For The Same Story Panama Mola

Swans Leaning In For The Same Story Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two big swans curve their necks until their heads almost touch, while eight smaller birds watch from little boxes in the lattice all around them. You feel like one more guest at a party leaning in to catch a secret. At 19 inches wide and 12 inches high, its wide shape fits nicely above a sofa or a bed. Hang it in your living room 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: 19"
Height: 12"
SKU: PM3607T