Molas, Textile Designs of the Guna Indians of Panama

Molas, Textile Designs of the Guna Indians of Panama

The Molas, a traditional textile made from layers of colored fabric crafted to form patterns and pictures inspired by the Guna indigenous cosmogenic beliefs. The tradition of the Guna Yala Mola comes from the traditional designs Guna Yala women used to paint on their bodies (when there were no textiles at hand, these came later with the Spanish conquistadors), these colorful geometrical designs were later transferred on sewn pieces of cloth using a technique known as “reverse application”. The molas are often made with recycled fabric.
A Mola can be a skirt, scarf or t-shirt, but also a piece of arm or leg covering. The quality of a Mola is detriment on the number of layers of cotton that is used and the fineness of the stitching. Cheerful color combinations and zigzag borders are almost in every piece of Mola. 
In the 1960s Molas specifically “made for trade” began to appear as a source of income for the household and community. These pieces are specifically designed, sew, and targeted for tourist. These days you can find Molas on tourist spots and or small shops opened by the Kuna’s indigenous group in Panama City, but you will only find patches of Molas for wall decorations or for pillows, the Guna indigenous would not sell the Molas as clothing because they don’t want tourists to wear the traditional clothing. Also, you can only buy them in Panama or Colombia, as it is not allowed to sell Molas outside these countries because they are of cultural heritage protected by the Kuna’s.