The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1
Lot 440:
Description
Group of 3 molas with hand reverse appliqué, applique, and hand embroidery, 3 layers.
Panama (Guna Yala), dated 1962, 17 x 19 inches
A richly narrative red-ground composition centering on a large manta ray — identified by the embroidered text “MANTARAYA” — with the date “1962” stitched prominently above, making this a datable example of documentary mola work. Two Guna fishermen paddling dugout canoes flank the central ray in the upper register, while crocodiles and fish populate the surrounding field, presenting a vivid tableau of the aquatic world central to Guna coastal life. A similar photo of this mola can be found on page 70 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal.
Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1960s, 17 x 22 inches
A bold geometric red-ground composition incorporating the embroidered inscriptions “RENOVADA EN 4 DE JULIO” and “TIENDA COLON” — referencing a commercial establishment and a civic date, reflecting the well-documented Guna practice of incorporating Spanish-language text from the surrounding Panamanian commercial world into mola design.
Mola 3 — Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1960s, 15.5 x 18 inches
A large-scale abstract composition dominated by a central X-form, depicts 2 keys, in black and orange-yellow with multicolor concentric contour outlining, flanked by vertical text borders and dense interior dash-work filling each quadrant.
Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection.
Condition report:
Poor condition. 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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