Vintage Kuna Mola Textile, Panama, Figural Reverse-Appliqué, Framed Folk Art

A vibrant vintage Mola textile from the Guna (Kuna) people of Panama's San Blas Islands — a stylized figural composition worked in warm yellow, red, and black against a deep navy ground. The Mola is the signature art form of Guna women, made through a labor-intensive reverse-appliqué technique in which multiple layers of cotton cloth are stacked and selectively cut and stitched to reveal the colors beneath. The finest examples — like this one — show the dense, improvised geometry of tiny rectangles, triangles, and curves that fill every inch around the central figure, the unmistakable mark of an experienced stitcher.

Molas are traditionally worn as the front and back panels of Guna women's blouses, with the most accomplished pieces preserved as heirlooms or sold to collectors. American and European interest in Mola work began in the mid-20th century and has grown steadily; well-framed vintage examples are increasingly difficult to source, and museum-quality molas of this caliber regularly appear at auction and in major folk art collections.

Professionally framed and matted under glass in a clean dark moulding — a presentation that respects the textile and works in nearly any context: a study, a powder room, a gallery wall of folk art, or as a graphic accent in a contemporary interior. Pairs especially well with our other vintage Guna molas (listed separately) for a coordinated textile installation.

Dimensions:
Frame: 22.25" H × 26.25" W × 1.5" D
Artwork (visible image): 15" H × 19" W

Ships via FedEx or UPS, fully insured.

See photos for condition and additional detail. Reach out directly with any specific questions, and we'll do our best to reply within 24 hours. Please check out our other listings for amazing estate items.

vintage Kuna Mola, Guna mola Panama, framed mola textile, reverse appliqué textile, San Blas mola, Panamanian folk art, figural mola, framed folk textile, indigenous textile art, Latin American folk art