Lot 2108
Mola Blouse Kuna/Guna People Panama Textile
Passed — did not sell at this auction
About this lot
Estimated Value: $ 350-450
Origin: Kuna/Guna Yala People, Panama, 1960s
Dimensions: 32.5×26.5in
Condition: Some fading in the fabric. Protected by a shadow box frame.
Additional Information: A Mola woman’s Blouse made by the Kuna Indians of Panama. The piece is multicolored with organic and geometric shapes. The sleeves are puffy with anchors along the sleeves edge. The top of the blouse is a silk blue with a shiny design throughout the fabric. Add embellishments of wavy trimming and a salmon collar line the seems. The bottom is a ruffled silk blue floral fabric. The blouse is in a shadow box frame.
The technique used is a reverse applique involving many layers of different colored cloth stitched together. The design is created by cutting away parts of each layer to reveal the color underneath. The quality of a mola is judged by the number of layers, the stitching, and the complexity of the design. Some mola’s take up to six months to create. Before the Spanish arrived the Kuna people used body paint. The Spanish were the ones to encourage the people to start to wear clothing.
Lot details
- Lot
- 2108
- Closed
- June 27, 2025
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