The Andean Condor In Rose Pink Panama Mola

The Andean Condor In Rose Pink Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The Andean condor raises its wings in two rounded sweeps packed with bars of green, magenta, orange and blue, with two long tail feathers curling below its small dark head. It carries a sense of freedom and big open skies that lifts your spirits. It is 16 inches wide and 13 inches high, a good size to frame for a living room or a den. The outer edge was left unbound where the panel came out of a blouse, a small honest sign of how it was first worn.

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: 16"
Height: 13"
SKU: PM2664T