Two Muscovy Ducks Comparing Notes At Dawn Guna Mola

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Two ducks stand back to back on a black ground, outlined in a coral pink that also curls away into hooks and scrolls all around them. Each bird carries a block of upright stripes i n yellow, red, teal and blue for a body, with embroidered rings around the eye and a neat little beak, and between their heads sits a burgundy and white shape like a lantern hung up for the evening. It is 14 inches wide and 11 inches high, an easy size for a cushion front. Every line is cut and turned by hand in the reverse appliqué the Guna are known for.A mola is a hand stitched panel made by the Guna people of Panama, once known as the Kuna. Several layers of colored cotton are stacked, then cut down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and every raw edge is turned and stitched closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué. Guna women have been refining it for generations, and the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest where they live.TraderBrock has bought directly from Guna, Embera, Wounaan and Ngäbe artisans since 1991, and sales revenue goes back into those communities for education, medical care, tools and land. This panel came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and it can be hand washed. No two molas are ever alike, and small variations in size, stitching and color are normal in handmade textiles.Width: 14"Height: 11"SKU: PM1497T Show more