A Harpy Eagle With A Broom For A Tail Panama Mola

A Harpy Eagle With A Broom For A Tail Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The harpy eagle turns its crested head to the right with a hooked beak, and its tail spreads into stiff bars that look just like an upturned broom. It is grand and a little silly at once, which keeps you from taking it too seriously. It is 17.5 inches wide and 13 inches high, one of the larger panels and worth a good frame. Give it a big wall in a living room or a stairway landing.

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: 17.5"
Height: 13"
SKU: PM2517T