Rainbow 2000 Youth Flute Macara And Stars Panama Mola

Rainbow 2000 Youth Flute Macara And Stars Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Pan flutes stand at each side, two crossed maracas sit in the middle with a heart and a star, and big letters across the top read Juventu. Juventu is close to the Spanish word for youth, and the word along the lower edge reads Nogagope. It measures 16 inches wide and 14 inches high, a lively size for a music room or a youth center. Musicians you know will love the flutes and maracas.

From TraderBrock: This is an interesting mola. It is from the year 2000. It celebrates some youth activity. The letters at the bottom are probably the island where the artist lives.

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: 14"
SKU: PM2496T