Rare Kuna Mola Reverse Appliqué From Panama

The Mola, or Molas, is a hand-made textile that forms part of the traditional women's clothing of the Kuna people from Panamá. The full costume includes a patterned wrapped skirt (saburet), a red and yellow headscarf (musue), arm and leg beads (wini), a gold nose ring (olasu) and earrings in addition to the mola blouse (dulemor).

In Dulegaya, the Guna's native language, "mola" means "shirt" or "clothing". The mola originated with the tradition of kuna women painting their bodies with geometric designs, using available natural colors; in later years these same designs were woven in cotton, and later still, sewn using cloth bought from the European settlers of Panamá

As an inspiration for their designs, the Guna first used the geometrical patterns which have been used for body painting before. In the past 50 years, they have also depicted realistic and abstract designs of flowers, sea animals and birds, and popular culture.

Depending on the tradition of each island, Guna women begin the crafting of molas either after they reach puberty, or at a much younger age. Women who prefer to dress in western style are in the minority as well as in the communities in Panama City.

Molas have such an importance for the Guna people and their traditional identity that they can be considered responsible for the independent status of the Comarca Guna Yala. After the attempt of the Panamanian government to "westernize" the Guna in the beginning of the 20th century by prohibiting their customs, their language and their traditional dress, a huge wave of resistance arose. This resistance movement culminated in the Guna revolution of 1925 where, after heavy battles, the Panamanian government gave the Guna people the right to govern their own territory autonomously.