The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 255:
Description
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1950s
12 × 15 inches
Boldly worked matched pair of reverse appliqué and appliqué mola panels, each presenting a large frontally displayed bird with outstretched wings — consistent with the Guna thunderbird or eagle motif — executed in a striking two-layer palette of deep crimson and turquoise blue cotton. The bird’s broad wings are filled with dense vertical channel-work in alternating red and blue, while the breast is articulated by a stack of descending chevrons, a compositional device characteristic of early Guna bird molas. The head is rendered in schematic profile with a circular eye, and a wave or serpentine element extends to one side. The lower register of each panel is divided into flanking labyrinthine corner panels of concentric rectangular and serpentine forms, a traditional filler treatment of considerable intricacy. The two-layer construction, bold graphic simplicity, and restrained two-color palette are hallmarks of an earlier period of Guna textile production. Each panel retains its original blouse border with turquoise trim at bottom.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection.
Condition report:
Minor wear and fading consistent with age. A small hole on one panel. 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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