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San Blas Molas, Multi-Layered Fabric, Handmade, Panama, Custom Frame,

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
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