Vintage Zigzag Maze Over Printed Background Panama Mola

Vintage Zigzag Maze Over Printed Background Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Four squares of burgundy zigzags fold into spirals over a cream background printed with orange, blue and green flowers. The printed backing shows through every channel and is the real star of the piece. Its four sections fill a panel 16 inches wide and 12 inches high. If you love to sew, the sections could trim a jacket, though you may want to keep it whole.

From Jan at MolaMagic: This is a really good one. You can tell from the background cloth that it is an old mola, made the way they did in the last century. Old molas with this kind of design that are not in good condition are great for snip and clip, and we use the pieces to decorate clothing.

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: 16"
Height: 12"
SKU: PM3770T