Kuna Abstract Traditional Mola Hand Stitched Applique Bird & Fish Maze Art 81B
Item History & Price
You are buying the intricate detailed applique mola on photo 1 and 3, a highly collectible & authentic folk art panelonce created by Kuna Indian Mola maker.Beautiful abstract hand stitched mola, very delicate work with aperfect detailed geometric motif of bird and fish that blend in the maze motif of the background, the mazemotif is reminiscent of the brain coral that surrounds the islands and inspired the artist.collected in the field. Time consuming to c...reate completely by hand for this much detailed work.Detailed work: very large size is 15 1/2" X 12 1/2"collected in Ustupu Island, San Blas, Panama.(and item number 81B, Category Fish)This particular type of geometric mola, with an image representing something that would not normally be abstract within an abstract background that it blends in as a complete mosaic, is one of the most traditional highly collectable original patterns that were once made in the 50's and evolved later from this kind of design into full blown more exact representations of the subjects themselves but still often with geometrics backgrounds.
The most authentic, original, the purest andtruest of all molas ever created were the geometrics ones and a must for anyserious collection, harder and harder to locate today because most were createdfrom the 1940’s to the 1970’s, they are abstract masterpieces of hand stitched applique.We pride ourselves in collecting direct, from village to village of the SanBlas Islands, only the most outstanding, detailed, handmade and colorful panelswe can find and the most traditional and oldest ones as well which are gettingharder and harder to find.
Molas are wonderful traditional folk art hand stitched fabricpanels that the Kuna women, from Indian tribes living in the remote San Blasislands off the coast of Panama, wear on the front and back of their blouses.They are masterpieces of time consuming intricate textile art, each created by anartistic accomplished seamstress with imagination, technique, originality andtalent and each is unique: they are delicately and minutely hand sewnrecreating either an abstract geometric motif reminiscent of body tattoos fromtheir past, the brain coral thatsurrounds the islands, or inspired by kuna history, religion, shamanism ordaily life and by what surrounds the makers such as nature, birds, animals, etc… and they are highly collectable inthe world or textiles and visual arts. We sell them to museums and collectorsall over the world. Each of our molas was removed from a blouse after we purchased itand is an original authentic fabric panel.We collect our molas one by one, in the field, to insurethat we get the best work, rendition, originality, art and authenticity, withthe best color combinations available in each island. Kunas create motifs on panels, in reverse applique andapplique, with fabrics of different colors, panels that they will later wearwith a great deal of pride as imagination, taste, technique and color combiningabilities affects each creation, which is often enhanced by minute and perfectlyrendered embroideries, the finished product earning respect and status for the maker. Creating a detailedmola, on average, takes 1 month but it can take longer according to theintensity of the motifs, the difficulty of the pattern, the detail involved, and the proximity of the stitches. We only buy the best work that can be foundon the premises and remove the molas ourselves from the blouses. One cannot but admire the intense detail of the motifs and therichness of colors and embroideries of this unique disappearing art. Some very demanding molasworkwise made by the best of experts show perfectly rendered backgrounds suchas these:1) Labyrinth backgroundinspired by brain coral.2) Tiny triangles lined withdifferent color fabrics.3) Crosses likemultiplication signs.4) Saw teeth lines
Check Dominique Rice Oceania Store in Sun SentinelNewspaper, Fort Lauderdale, for information on our large collection ofauthentic art and rare artifacts.
All our unusual handcrafted or rare items come with pages ofresearch and authenticity information concerning them, with history of thetribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. In the case of the molas, we will send you 5 lengthy documents withphotos referring to everything you need to know about them, from their historyto their spiritual meanings or messages, the traditions still embraced thruthem, and the difficult task of creating them. Molas are getting harderand harder to collect in the field and as a result have tripled or x 4 in priceon location, as the tradition is disappearing. We just returned from a trip toPanama and in many San Blas islands' villages, we did not find a single person wearingone or having one for sale. It saddened us a great deal to see such a wonderfulart not being passed on to the next generation anymore as the knowledge andbeauty of creating these artistic fabric panels is being lost as a result, butthe next generation, as everywhere else, is not interested in creating 2 blousepanels that can take, each, 1 month or more to complete, and are lookingforward to a more modern future, while wearing western clothing, since now manyislands have electricity which leads to computers, cell phones and TV’s and tothe extinction of the need to craft.It is the first trip inoticed such a tremendous decrease in the production and wear of such awonderful and colorful traditional attire soon to be a distant memory. I amafraid true not-made-for-tourists molas which are the only kind we collect bychoice (unless we have requests for the other newer types: which are beautifulas well in their own respect, but were never worn on a blouse) will soon be allgone. To this day, we haveprized ourselves in collecting the best we can find: authentic traditionalblouse mola panels, that we remove from the blouses ourselves, purchasing themone by one direct from the islands’ artists: we only collect work created with handsewnstitches, sometimes so small they are almost invisible, This is a fabric art thatwill be a thing of the past in a very near future. Additionalpictures placed here also show a variety of photos from our trips such as myhusband distributing goods to the Indian community, village scenes, a molabeing started, a Kuna woman wearing one, and also how they can be used in yourhome to create a great cheerful and colorful one of a kind accent.If you want to see some of our framed molas, framed in unique signed hand painted frames matching each mola, or the fundelightful pillows we create with them, each one of a kind as well, let us know. When shippinginternationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and findthe best rates available. If you have any questionsor want to see research conducted on this piece and photos of tribes, let us know.
The most authentic, original, the purest andtruest of all molas ever created were the geometrics ones and a must for anyserious collection, harder and harder to locate today because most were createdfrom the 1940’s to the 1970’s, they are abstract masterpieces of hand stitched applique.We pride ourselves in collecting direct, from village to village of the SanBlas Islands, only the most outstanding, detailed, handmade and colorful panelswe can find and the most traditional and oldest ones as well which are gettingharder and harder to find.
Molas are wonderful traditional folk art hand stitched fabricpanels that the Kuna women, from Indian tribes living in the remote San Blasislands off the coast of Panama, wear on the front and back of their blouses.They are masterpieces of time consuming intricate textile art, each created by anartistic accomplished seamstress with imagination, technique, originality andtalent and each is unique: they are delicately and minutely hand sewnrecreating either an abstract geometric motif reminiscent of body tattoos fromtheir past, the brain coral thatsurrounds the islands, or inspired by kuna history, religion, shamanism ordaily life and by what surrounds the makers such as nature, birds, animals, etc… and they are highly collectable inthe world or textiles and visual arts. We sell them to museums and collectorsall over the world. Each of our molas was removed from a blouse after we purchased itand is an original authentic fabric panel.We collect our molas one by one, in the field, to insurethat we get the best work, rendition, originality, art and authenticity, withthe best color combinations available in each island. Kunas create motifs on panels, in reverse applique andapplique, with fabrics of different colors, panels that they will later wearwith a great deal of pride as imagination, taste, technique and color combiningabilities affects each creation, which is often enhanced by minute and perfectlyrendered embroideries, the finished product earning respect and status for the maker. Creating a detailedmola, on average, takes 1 month but it can take longer according to theintensity of the motifs, the difficulty of the pattern, the detail involved, and the proximity of the stitches. We only buy the best work that can be foundon the premises and remove the molas ourselves from the blouses. One cannot but admire the intense detail of the motifs and therichness of colors and embroideries of this unique disappearing art. Some very demanding molasworkwise made by the best of experts show perfectly rendered backgrounds suchas these:1) Labyrinth backgroundinspired by brain coral.2) Tiny triangles lined withdifferent color fabrics.3) Crosses likemultiplication signs.4) Saw teeth lines
Check Dominique Rice Oceania Store in Sun SentinelNewspaper, Fort Lauderdale, for information on our large collection ofauthentic art and rare artifacts.
All our unusual handcrafted or rare items come with pages ofresearch and authenticity information concerning them, with history of thetribes and photos as well, depending on item and whenever possible. In the case of the molas, we will send you 5 lengthy documents withphotos referring to everything you need to know about them, from their historyto their spiritual meanings or messages, the traditions still embraced thruthem, and the difficult task of creating them. Molas are getting harderand harder to collect in the field and as a result have tripled or x 4 in priceon location, as the tradition is disappearing. We just returned from a trip toPanama and in many San Blas islands' villages, we did not find a single person wearingone or having one for sale. It saddened us a great deal to see such a wonderfulart not being passed on to the next generation anymore as the knowledge andbeauty of creating these artistic fabric panels is being lost as a result, butthe next generation, as everywhere else, is not interested in creating 2 blousepanels that can take, each, 1 month or more to complete, and are lookingforward to a more modern future, while wearing western clothing, since now manyislands have electricity which leads to computers, cell phones and TV’s and tothe extinction of the need to craft.It is the first trip inoticed such a tremendous decrease in the production and wear of such awonderful and colorful traditional attire soon to be a distant memory. I amafraid true not-made-for-tourists molas which are the only kind we collect bychoice (unless we have requests for the other newer types: which are beautifulas well in their own respect, but were never worn on a blouse) will soon be allgone. To this day, we haveprized ourselves in collecting the best we can find: authentic traditionalblouse mola panels, that we remove from the blouses ourselves, purchasing themone by one direct from the islands’ artists: we only collect work created with handsewnstitches, sometimes so small they are almost invisible, This is a fabric art thatwill be a thing of the past in a very near future. Additionalpictures placed here also show a variety of photos from our trips such as myhusband distributing goods to the Indian community, village scenes, a molabeing started, a Kuna woman wearing one, and also how they can be used in yourhome to create a great cheerful and colorful one of a kind accent.If you want to see some of our framed molas, framed in unique signed hand painted frames matching each mola, or the fundelightful pillows we create with them, each one of a kind as well, let us know. When shippinginternationally, we group ship multiple purchases to save you money, and findthe best rates available. If you have any questionsor want to see research conducted on this piece and photos of tribes, let us know.
