The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 65:
Description
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s
14 × 18 inches
Worked in three layers of reverse appliqué with applied appliqué and embroidery. A large US Navy airplane dominates the center of the composition, its fuselage inscribed “US NAVY” in multicolored appliquéd letters and marked with blue-and-white star roundels. Two pilots are visible in the cockpit, rendered with embroidered facial features and crossed seatbelts. The aircraft is outlined in successive channels of yellow, green, black, and pink against a vibrant red ground. Three fish swim across the upper register in green and orange with yellow outlines. Four human figures occupy the surrounding field in varied poses — two standing upright and two in active stances — each outlined in black and yellow or orange with embroidered eyes and dotted body detail. A vehicle with two visible wheels bearing embroidered spokes and two passengers appears at lower right, with a small animal figure nearby. Dense triangular cutwork in multicolored fills saturates the ground, and star medallions punctuate the field. A richly detailed contact-era narrative composition documenting the Guna encounter with the American military presence in the Canal Zone. A similar photo of this mola can be found on page 148 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection
Condition report:
Minor fading and wear consistent with age. 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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