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Kuna Mola are handcrafted in Panama by the women of
the San Blas islands. Each piece is hand selected by
us for its workmanship and design. We offer two
different styles of Mola, traditional molas and
contemporary or tourist molas.
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 The
traditional molas contain geometric patterns and
abstract animal designs. |
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How
the are Made |
| Mola
Art, also called Kuna Mola, is an amazing creation by
the women of the Kuna or Cuna tribe from Central
America. Living
directly on the San Blas Islands of Panama, these
women create some of the most gorgeous pieces of art
imaginable. Using
a special appliqué process called “reverse appliqué”
the women take numerous layers of cloth, each of
varying color. These
layers are then stitched together loosely while the
top layers are fine-tipped cut with special scissors.
The cut edges are then folded back at which
time they are stitched to the bottom layer. This
process is repeated for each piece of fabric until
this piece is completed. |
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The
History of the Art |
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 The
word Mola translates into “blouse”.
Although Mola Art was originally artwork done
on women’s blouses as a means of adding beautiful
color and design, today you will find Mola Art done on
more than just blouses and in many cases, used as an
actual form of art that is framed and proudly
displayed. The
wonderful aspect of the Mola pieces is that they are
all so unique and vibrant.
Women have the freedom to create beautiful
designs of nature, which today, has become an
increasingly popular type of apparel worn in the
United States, Europe, and Asia.
Most
pieces consist of some type of motif constructed on
several layers. As
the designs are made, the cutting process exposes the
underlying colors.
While it might sound simple, once you have seen
Mola art, you can see that this is truly a developed
skill. This
method of cutting instead of drawing is one aspect
that makes each design unique.
Once the piece is complete, the panels are then
used to create both front and back pieces for the
blouse. This
way, the Kuna Indian women looked beautiful both
coming and going. |
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Product
Details |
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Care
and Handling |
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More
Information in our Reference Section: |
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Main
About our Products Page
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We
offer the Internet's largest selection of Asian Arts,
Crafts, and Collectibles with over 8,000 different
items in stock in our Maryland warehouse. Our products
are handcrafted and imported from Japan,
China,
Korea,
Bali
Indonesia, Vietnam,
Nepal,
Mexico,
Peru,
Panama,
Ecuador,
and Thailand.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy your visit.
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