The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 443:
Description
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1960s.
15.5 x 19 inches
Worked in 3 layers of hand reverse appliqué and appliqué, this bold black-ground mola presents three vertically oriented rectangular cartouches, each bearing the embroidered word “RAYO” in multicolor letters across the top register, below which densely stacked horizontal bars alternate between flat and zigzag-edged forms in a full spectrum of colors — yellow, pink, purple, green, blue, orange, red, and white.”Rayo” refers to the well-known Panamanian brand of washboard, and this design belongs to a documented category of commercial-label molas in which Guna artists translated everyday household trade goods into vibrant textile compositions — a practice that reflects the Guna’s creative and often humorous engagement with the consumer world beyond the San Blas archipelago. The repeating tripartite structure and brilliant multicolor interior striping give this piece an unusually graphic, almost modernist quality.
A similar photo of this mola can be found on page 68 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection
Condition report:
Minor age appropriate wear and fading. 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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