The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 232:
Description
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s
18 × 15.25 inches
Complete Guna mola blouse featuring a boldly worked reverse appliqué and appliqué front and back panel set into a mint green cotton yoke with gathered short sleeves trimmed in black rick-rack, a black horizontal band with pink rick-rack and blue and orange accent stripes at the panel junction, and a pleated cream cotton hem border. The mola panels present a striking four-quadrant geometric composition in which each quadrant contains a large concentric spiraling triangle rendered in mint green on deep burgundy, the lines stepping inward register by register and terminating in a tight hooked spiral at the innermost point. The four quadrants meet at a central axis, creating a dynamic pinwheel-like symmetry across the full panel surface. The boldness of the forms and the generous width of each line give the composition a monumental, architectural quality unusual in its clarity and restraint. Front and back panels repeat the composition with consistent precision. The two-color palette — mint green revealed through burgundy — produces a high-contrast optical effect of exceptional graphic power. Consistent hand-stitching throughout. Worked in two layers of mint green and burgundy cotton.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection
Condition report:
Visible wear, fading, discoloration and loose applique are present. Open side seams and one sleeve has open seams as well. In house Flat Rate US Shipping of $15 for 1 -10 molas, $5 each additional 10 molas. Insurance is additional and required.
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