A Pair Of Mangoes Fresh From The Tree Kuna Mola

A Pair Of Mangoes Fresh From The Tree Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. The leaf caps over the two mangoes are filled with tiny stitched marks that look like rows of handwriting, a detail you only catch up close. It is the kind of cheerful, sun warmed piece that makes a plain morning feel like a holiday. The panel is 16 inches wide and 11 inches high, just right for a frame over a counter or a small table. Hang it where you make coffee, or in a dining room that needs some fun.

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"
Height: 11"
SKU: PM1105T