TRANSPORTATION FANTASY SAIL BOAT BLOUSE PANEL ORIGINAL YATCH MOTIF Type of Object: MOLA BLOUSE ART Ethnic Group: KUNA GUNA YALA Country of Origin: PANAMA -KUNA YALA (guna yala) Materials: APPLIQUED COTTON FABRIC PANEL Approximate Age: 10 + years Dimensions: 15.5" by 12.5" Weight: 54.0 grams by 0.12 lbs by 2.0 ozOverall Condition: Used (But some holes, stains and fading bc of age and usage)

I began my fieldwork and ethnographic studies in Kuna Yala in 1979 and have been steadily travelling back there ever since. Every Mola featured in the Ethnix gallery has been directly collected from one of these very special journeys. Sale of mola helps the kuna Indians in promoting and maintaining their cultural and ethnic identity. Marketing their art is both beneficial to David and the Kuna Indians. Although I can’t put an exact date on this extraordinarymola …it was purchased on theisland Carti Tupile, in July 2016. The focus of this trip was to look for the older seredi, pre 1950’s molas and wooden healingfigures or dolls called nuchus. I did however make some exceptions and bought only a few of the more recent molas when they exhibited a balance of extraordinary, quality, motif and color or imagination.

The clothing of a traditional Kuna woman consists of a printed blue cotton wrapped skirt, red and yellow headscarf, glass beaded arm and leg bracelets, gold nose ring and earrings. The most iconic aspect of the female Kuna clothing is the colorful blouse consisting of a pair the several layered and finely sewn mola panels. The artistry of a mola reflects designs from both traditional Kuna culture and design influences from the external mass media world. Mola designs are often inspired from imagination and from modern graphics such as political posters, labels, pictures from books, etc. Geometric molas which are the most traditional, have been developed from ancient body painting designs and have their origins inbPre-Columbian times. Molas are a source of supplemental income for Kuna women and a source of pride and skill which helps to reinforce Kuna ethnic identity.

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