Two Rainy Day Umbrellas With Chevron Panels Panama Mola

Two Rainy Day Umbrellas With Chevron Panels Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Two open umbrellas fill the upper half, every narrow gore of their canopies packed with downward chevrons, and the two handles curve out below as though they had just been set down. It turns a gloomy forecast into something to look forward to. It is 16 inches wide and 11 inches high, a long shape that suits a mantel or a horizontal frame. Hang it in your front hall by the coat rack, where the real umbrellas live.

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: PM2500T