The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 187:
Description
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s
13 × 15 inches
Worked in two layers of black and dark red cotton with extensive polychrome appliqué and hand embroidery throughout, this exceptional narrative mola depicts a Nativity scene rendered wholly within the Guna artistic vocabulary. The left half of the composition is dominated by a large maternal figure shown in profile, her robed form rendered in dense parallel-line reverse appliqué with orange and multicolored outlines, her flowing hair delineated in concentric arcs of teal, yellow, and multicolor embroidery. She cradles a small child before her, the infant’s haloed figure outlined in pink with embroidered white eyes and dotted body decoration. The right half of the panel is anchored by a tall tiered tree form in deep pink, each tier densely filled with eye-shaped leaf motifs outlined in multicolored thread, surmounted by a yellow-framed star medallion with embroidered sunburst interior. Flanking botanical elements with lime-green serrated outlines and embroidered vein details, a four-armed cross form in orange, and a small blue-outlined manger at lower right complete the sacred scene. The black ground throughout is saturated with a dense field of multicolored triangular cutwork elements. Consistent hand-stitching throughout.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection.
Condition report:
Minor wear consistent with age. Vibrant color. 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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