Seagull Sizes Up The Tide Line Panama Mola

Seagull Sizes Up The Tide Line Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The seagull stretches right across the panel with two small shells below its tail, and its single round white eye is ringed in dotted stitching. It brings a breath of salt air and a smile along with it. The panel is 16.5 inches wide and 12 inches high, just right for a bathroom, a beach house or a seaside guest room. Hang it where you keep your shells, sun hats and beach towels.

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.

Founded in 1991, TraderBrock celebrates the handcraft of Latin America's indigenous peoples. Every piece comes from Guna, Wounaan and Emberá artisans we know by name, and all profits are reinvested in their communities for education, tools and the teaching of ancestral techniques. Buying from TraderBrock helps keep their culture and their traditions alive.

Width: 16.5"
Height: 12"
SKU: PM3663T