Vintage Red And Blue Autumn Leaf Tree Panama Mola

Vintage Red And Blue Autumn Leaf Tree Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. A black tree outlined in yellow rises from the center, carrying six square pods of four part hooks among gray leaves on a red field. Tiny stitches hold every turned edge, so the shapes sit flat and clean against one another. Blue stepped borders run up both sides, and the whole panel is 15 inches wide and 11 inches high. Your sewing room, a study or a cozy hallway would all suit this autumn scene.

Molas are built by stacking several layers of colored cotton, then cutting down through one layer at a time so the colors underneath show through, and turning every raw edge under and stitching it closed by hand. The technique is called reverse appliqué, and a good panel is judged by how fine the stitches are and how many layers deep the cutting goes. This one came from Guna Yala, the San Blas islands off Panama's Caribbean coast, where the designs draw on the birds, fish, plants and geometric patterns of the islands and rainforest. It is ready to frame, mount, or sew into a pillow or a quilt panel, and no two are ever alike.

MolaMagic was founded by Janet Marie Brockman with a simple but powerful mission: to help indigenous women of color in Panama share their art with the world. For over twenty years, all profits have gone right back into the artisan community, supporting education, medical care, land, tools, and daily needs. Buying a MolaMagic mola means you are part of that story too.

Width: 15"
Height: 11"
SKU: PM3565T