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1960's Kuna Mola Toucan Birds in Tropics Applique Tapestry

$475
£360.77
€416.81
CA$665.73
A$745.08
CHF 388.87
MX$9,086.09
NOK 4,977.04
SEK 4,711.41
DKK 3,110.62
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About the Item

Beautifully crafted Kuna tribe Mola cotton tapestry with tropical toucan bird family motif. Mounted on cardboard, as found, for framing. Traditionally made by the natives of Panama, the Mola tapestries depict themselves and their lives in nature, faith, and connection to the whole cosmos. Mola, a Kuna word, has several meanings: fabric or cloth, shirt or upper garment for men or women, brightly decorated women's blouses, or colorful layers of fabric, cut and hand-sewn into designs for fronts and backs of Kuna women´s blouses. Kuna women from the San Blas Archipelago produce most of the work, though some molas are also made by Kuna women from inland Panama and western Colombia. Developed in the late 1800s from an earlier tradition of body painting, designs were first painted on cloth and later sewn. Designs are produced with a combination of reverse appliqué and appliqué. Two or more layers of different colors of cotton cloth are hand-sewn loosely together. The design and its details are cut through the top layer or layers to reach the color selected by the worker. Minute hand stitches attach each folded cut edge to a lower layer. Frequently small scraps of color are inserted beneath the top layer and worked in tas-tas, slits, to emphasize special details of background pattern.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 0.1 in (2.54 mm)
  • Style:
    Tribal (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Cotton,Appliqué
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1960's
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU911940922172

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