The Kuna Indians who live on the archipelagos off the coast of Panama have a native tradition of creating molas. The word “mola” means blouse. To create these blouses, which are customary, everyday attire for the women, two mola panels are constructed, one for the front and one for the back of the garment. These designs are approximately the same, but never exactly congruent.
Usually, news articles about molas show only one mola panel, although they are always constructed in pairs. For the tourist trade, molas are often de-constructed, and that is why there appears to be this lapse in cultural context and continuity.
I thought it would be fun to show you a Kuna-made blouse. All cloth, of any kind, that is incorporated into works sewn by the Kuna people, comes from “somewhere else,” and is taken in trade.
The fabric in this blouse is one that I do not recognize because I am most familiar with the natural fibers used in quilts: linen, silk, wool and cotton.
Isn’t this color Orange wonderfully exciting to the eye? The fabric at the bottom, on both sides, has been cut, making the edges frayed. I can’t help but wonder if this was done purposely to make the blouse unable to be worn, perhaps due to some tribal superstition.
Hope you enjoyed seeing this blouse. I purchased it, just to show you!
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications – where you can read lots more about Molas!
Tags: Mola - blouse
