Vintage Orange And Black Duck Heads Bill To Bill Panama Mola

Vintage Orange And Black Duck Heads Bill To Bill Mola is a hand sewn textile by a Guna (Kuna) artisan in Panama. Four duck heads meet in twos, bill to bill, inside a black maze on orange cloth, with small stitched dots ringing each eye. The design reads like a quiet conversation, the kind that makes you lean in to hear the punch line. The panel comes to 15 inches wide and 11 inches high. Fading and a worn border show plainly, so it suits you best as a craft piece or a playful wall accent.

From Jan at MolaMagic: Probably from the 1960s. This gem is super faded, torn on the right border, and looks like it was washed on a rock in a river. Other than that, it will be a prize for someone. Cut it into sections to decorate your own creations, or patch it onto faded blue jeans.

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: 15"
Height: 11"
SKU: PM1022T