Vintage Mola Guna Kuna Textile Weaving Folk Art from Panama 1960/70s For Sale

* traditional & authentic vintage Mola textile from the 1960s

*in gently used vintage condition with some minor fading

*20” x 17”

*wonderful addition to a collection

Molas are simple yoke-type blouses richly decorated by intricate needlework. Mola can mean the blouse that is daily wear for Guna (previously spelled Kuna or Cuna) women but most often refers to its front or back panel. They have been made for about a century. Each panel is constructed of multiple layers of cloth of contrasting colors. The layers are carefully snipped, peeled back to reveal the underlying colors and stitched together to create the pattern. The technique is sometimes referred to as reverse applique. Molas can often have as many as four colored layers of cloth with extra color pieces and embroidery accents added. It takes many hours of sewing to create even the simplest mola.