Items Similar to San Blas Molas, Multi-Layered Fabric, Handmade, Panama, Custom Frame,
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8
UnknownSan Blas Molas, Multi-Layered Fabric, Handmade, Panama, Custom Frame,1980
1980
About the Item
This is a handmade mola sewn by the San Blas Indian women. Approximate date is 1980. It is framed and protected by conservatorship class. When the gallery framed it we let the strings show on the linen mat. This was purchased on a trip to San Blas in 2002 and has been well protected. Framed size is 15" x 23".
100% of the proceeds will be sent to Darien, Panama to support a youth boxing program. One boxer will be in the Olympics 2024.
Panama is a nation full of colorful imagery, from the aquamarine seas lapping at the country’s coastlines to the deep green canopy of rainforests shrouding its interior. But perhaps the most iconic example of its vibrancy is a traditional garment known as a mola.
Smithsonian :
For centuries, the Guna (previously known as Kuna), an Indigenous group residing in Panama and parts of neighboring Colombia, have been creating colorfully embroidered clothing. A mola, which translates to “shirt” in the Guna language, is a piece of traditional dress typically worn by women and known for its bright colors and intricate designs depicting flowers, birds, reptiles, animals and other emblems indicative of Mother Nature. The textile art began in the San Blas Islands, an archipelago off the northern coast of Panama that’s part of the Guna Yala Region, where many Guna people continue to live.
Making a mola the traditional way isn’t for the faint of heart, and Ledezma estimates that a single shirt can take anywhere from 60 to 80 hours of labor to sew. To create each garment, women and girls use a technique called reverse appliqué, which involves layering two or more fabrics of different colors and sewing them together, then using a pair of scissors to carefully snip away parts of each layer to reveal the design. Next, they use fabric remnants to fill in each layer, creating a striking geometric-like form. The more layers used, the more complex the final piece, which is adorned with intricate embroidery sewn by hand. Often, the base fabric of a piece is black to help emphasize the other colors and make them pop on the finished garment.
several museums in the United States feature molas in their collections, such as Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York City and the William Benton Museum of Art on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs, Connecticut.
- Creation Year:1980
- Dimensions:Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Houston, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1405211195792
About the Seller
5.0
Gold Seller
These expertly vetted sellers are highly rated and consistently exceed customer expectations.
Established in 1970
1stDibs seller since 2020
119 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Houston, TX
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- SAN BLAS ISLANDS PANAMA MOLA Multi-Layered Fabric Handmade Custom Frame Folk ArtLocated in Houston, TXThis is a handmade mola sewn by the San Blas Indian women. Approximate date is 1980. It is framed and protected by conservatorship class. When the gallery f...Category
1980s Folk Art More Art
MaterialsFabric
- San Miguel, St. Michael, School of Cusco, Peru, Framed early 1900'sLocated in Houston, TXThis is painting is from the School of Cusco depicting St. Michael the Archangel defeating the devil in battle. It is oil on canvas and is in very goo...Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Portrait Paintings
MaterialsCanvas, Oil
- Bob Ross, The Joy of Painting, PBS, Acrylic on Panel, The Outsiders, Folk ArtLocated in Houston, TXQuote from Bob Ross "Only a few "Happy Accidents on this One" LOOK FOR FREE 1STDIBS SHIPPING WHEN YOU CHECK OUT Robert Norman Ross was an American painter,...Category
2010s Folk Art Portrait Paintings
MaterialsAcrylic, Wood Panel
- Estee, Oil on Panel, Folk Art, Estee Lauder, Portraits, The Outsiders, 20 x 15Located in Houston, TXQuote from Estee Lauder "Be Strong. Be Confident " Be the Star of your own life". "Keep and eye on the competition but this doesn't mean copying them." Below are other paintings available by Tommy...Category
2010s Folk Art Portrait Paintings
MaterialsAcrylic, Wood Panel
- Judy, Oil on Panel, Folk Art, Last Photo of Judy Garland, Outsiders, PortraitsLocated in Houston, TXJudy is painted after the last photograph of Judy Garland. Judy is painted on a wood panel in oil. There is no need for a frame. Also shown are the other paintings available by Tommy Cheng...Category
2010s Folk Art Portrait Paintings
MaterialsAcrylic, Wood Panel
- Paraguayan Ink Drawings from the Chaco #2, Paper, Indigenous Artists, RareLocated in Houston, TXTHE GALLERY PURCHASED AND FRAMED THE DRAWINGS DIRECTLY FROM THE INDEGINIOUS ARTISTS IN THE CHACO.. PROCEEDS WILL GO BACK TO THE ARTIST TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND ART CAREER. The drawings are floating on a mat behind conservation glass. More detailed images can be provided. Articles can be found by Googling " Fondation Cartier Paraguay" These are Ink Drawings from Paraguay which are very difficult to obtain. I heard about them from a South American collector who is on the Top 200 Art Collectors in the World List. Most of the research is in Europe. These are done by the indigenous people in the Chaco Region of Paraguay. Richart Peralta makes his living by ink drawing and working in the Mennonite community who helps out the Indigenous people throughout Paraguay. Notice the detail in the fine lines and in some drawings no line touches another. The artists draw scenes from their daily life such as the jungle. Deforestation has become a big problem for the Chaco region. Bic Ink from France donates the ink and the paper. Fondation Cartier Exhibit : The Fondation Cartier is pleased to welcome Efacio Álvarez...Category
2010s Folk Art Animal Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Ink
You May Also Like
- 19th Century Royal Standard Coat of Arms WoolieLocated in Austin, TX19th Century Woolie of The Royal Standard Coat of Arms Made of Wool Mid 19th Century created in 1867 Created by member of The British Royal NavyCategory
1860s Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
- 19th Century Steamboat British WoolieLocated in Austin, TXAn original 19th Century Steamboat Woolie 12" x 15.5" Medium: woolCategory
1860s Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
- Rope Framed 19th Century Woolie featuring English ShipLocated in Austin, TX19th Century British Woolie 11" x 13" Medium: Wool Framed Sailboat featuring British FlagCategory
Mid-19th Century Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
- H.M.S Volage British Woolie 1869Located in Austin, TXCreated in 1869 by British Naval Officer a woolie of H.M.S Volage which was built for the Royal Navy in the late 1860s and was assigned to the Flying Squandron circumnavigating the w...Category
Mid-19th Century Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
- 19th Century British Woolie "Dieu Et Mon Droit"Located in Austin, TX19th Century handcrafted Woolie featuring sailboat bordered by British flags with the motto of the British monarch Dieu et Mon Droit, (God and my rig...Category
Mid-19th Century Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
- British Woolie in Maple FrameLocated in Austin, TX"Sailboat in a Maple Frame" - British Woolie, 1870 Wool Embroidery 12 x 19.5 inches Framed 14 x 22 inches 19th Century British Woolie in Maple Frame fe...Category
Late 19th Century Folk Art More Art
MaterialsWool
