Historical information

A San Blas Mola Panel is a hand-stitched textile artwork created by indigenous Guna (Kuna) women of the San Blas Islands (Guna Yala) in Panama.
Technique: Made using multi-layered reverse appliqué and fine embroidery. Makers stack two to seven colored cotton fabrics, cut away top layers, and turn and stitch the edges to reveal vibrant underlying designs.
Function: Traditionally worn as the front and back decorative panels of Guna women's blouses, paired with a wrap skirt (sabured) and headscarf (muswe).
Motifs: Feature geometric patterns (molas naga), traditional animal and spiritual figures (molas goaniggadi), or modern pop-culture and global icons (such as cigarette packets or commercial logos) adopted post-1925.

Physical description

Mola applique with cut back panels. Stylized flower motifs using applique, hand stitching and needle turning..
Red background with yellow, blue, orange, brown, black details.