Two Pear Fruits Glowing In Gold Frames Panama Mola

Two Pear Fruits Glowing In Gold Frames Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Fine rays fan out from each pear as though heat were coming off it, and a leaf with stitched veins rests in the arch above, with a maze border tying the two halves together. There is something warm and homey about it that makes a plain room feel lived in. It is 15 inches wide and 10.5 inches high, and because the stitching is simpler and bolder than on our finest panels it is one of our more affordable molas, an easy choice if you want to sew a pillow front. It suits a kitchen, a breakfast nook or a cozy sewing room.

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: 15"
Height: 10.5"
SKU: PM2633T