Most of the molas on this page range from 20 to 40 years old. Most of them are traditional designs. All are hand made by Kuna Indian women and used as panels on their blouses. These older molas lack the intricate details of the newer molas that are made today.

These are not for sale. They are here for your viewing pleasure only.

Superior Botanical Design Mola Pair from the Fifties

This is a very nice pair of Vintage molas - from the 1950's or maybe earlier. They are abstract designs that represent a plant. The top mola has the leaves or branches upwards while on the bottom mola the leaves or branches are facing downwards.

The molas are excellently made in the reverse applique technique. They are very intricate with lots of details... more than usual for the period. The Kuna artist that made them used four full layers of fabric. Red (not maroon), orange, green and a black ottomano fabric that is no longer obtainable for the underlayer. This fabric was widely used several decades ago as it was obtained from the Colombian traders that visited the islands and exchanged bolts of fabric for coconuts. The stitches are very tiny and even. It is very neatly finished.

The mola is in very good condition for it's age. It is soft from the wear and washings and if you look very closely you will find a few very small soiled spots but they do not detract from the appearance or the value of the mola in any way. They are very slightly but nicely faded.

Collector's Quality!

Dimensions: 17-1/2" x 14-1/4"

Rare Abstract Design Mola

This is an interesting mola from the fifties that shows a semi-circular design. don't know what it represents but it might be something related to one of the Kuna's rituals or maybe a primitive household artifact.

The mola is made in the reverse applique technique that is unique to the Kuna Indians of Panama. The Kuna mola maker used four full layers of fabric: orange, red, pink and a black (now grey) on the bottom. The bottom layer is the "ottomano" material that is no longer available and was obtained from the Colombian traders many decades ago.

The traingular designs that fill the main motif of the mola are outlined in the suidi-suidi or sawtooth stitch. The stitching is nice and even and the mola is very neatly finished on both the front and the back.

It is in overall good condition. It is slightly but nicely faded, it has a few minor soiled spots that don't affect the quality of the mola. This work of art was made by the grandmother of a young Kuna friend and she obviously wore it with pride.

Dimensions: 18" x 14-1/2"

Vintage Mola ~ Lamp Design

This is a charming, colorful vintage mola. It looks like a lamp with the hanging prism like crystals and the light bulb hanging from the top of the lamp. It was probably made in the fifties, or maybe earlier. The design was probably copied from a magazine or catalog as it is very unlikely that a lamp similar to this one was in in Kuna home.

It is three layers and has many smaller swatches in between, in different colors and some prints as well. The mola maker used the suidi-suidi or sawtooth stich around the design and vertical and horizontal cut outs "tas-tas" for the background.

The top layer has a seam across it (about 1/3 from the top from left to right), giving the impression that the mola maker stitched two pieces of the red fabric together because she didn't have a piece of red fabric large enough... that's a guess though and it is not very noticeable. It also has a soiled spot towards the top right of the lamp... (click on the image to see close ups). Otherwise good condition. The colors are bright and it's a very attractive work of art.

Dimensions: 18-1/2" x 16-3/4"

BADU MOR

Duck Mola

White on Black. Black and white molas were very popular in the 1960's and 1970's. This mola is from the mid 60's.

Originally worn on a blouse. Slight fading and signs of wear. Lightweight fabric.

(The right side of the mola is not shown because of the scan)

Fish? Bird? Mola

This is an interesting Mola from the early 1970's. It is very neatly stitched and nicely made. The central figure seems to be an animal that looks like a cross between a bird and a fish! For the filler, the mola maker has used the vertical cuts or "tas-tas" as they are known by the Kunas. This is a Nice and Fun Mola.

Overall very good condition. Slight fading from the wear.

Dimensions: 17-1/2" x 13-1/4"

Surba Mor

This is cultural little mola that portrays the "Surba" or enclosed room where the pubescent girl stays for eight days during which she is constantly washed by the women of the community. After this, the Inna Mutikit (Night of sugar cane beer) feast takes place. This is a small vintage mola. The stitching is larger and not neat or even but the design is excellent and is another example of the more primitive molas that were made years ago.

This mola shows the young girl in the "surba" while she is being cleansed.

I can not guarantee the age of the mola. It is at least 15 - 20 years old. It is a small mola measuring 15-1/2" x 11" which suggests that it actually belonged to an adolescent.... maybe the pubescent girl.

On page 166 of Michel Perrin's book Magnificent Molas, there is a very similar mola. This would make an extraordinary collectible.

VINTAGE Rooster Mola

This is a very colorful mola from the 1960's that portrays a handsome bird... rooster? He seems to be eating corn.

The mola is made of three main layers of fabric, the to is maroon, the middle layer is yellow and the bottom layer is a purple print fabric. It's a very interesting design and in overall good condition. I see one tiny stain - a dot - that doesn't detract from the mola. (It is on the light yellow fabric outlining the rooster's crest, near the top left). (Click on the image for a detailed view)

This mola would make a great collectible!

Dimensions: 16-1/4" x 12-1/2"

Be sure to click on the image above for a larger view and details of the mola.

Vintage Tea Set Mola

This is an example of an "acculturation" mola, it represents a tea set on what looks like a very elaborate tray. On the top part of the mola are forks, knives and spoon, it looks like a very complete place setting, probably copied from a magazine or catalog. The Kuna woman that sold it to me was not sure of its age but she says that it's at least 20 to 25 years old.

The workmanship is good considering the age of the mola, the lines are fairly even and relatively narrow. The background has the "tas-tas" or vertical cuts and as a filler she has added a smaller tea set and what appears to be a bottle or carafe of some type. She has added touches of embroidery on the actual tea set.

It is a fine piece made of four (4) layers of fabric, red, yellow, orange and the bottom layer is a maroon"ottomano" fabric. . This type of fabric was used regularly decades ago and is now very rare and almost impossible for the Kunas to obtain. The mola is slightly faded, testimony of the wear and numerous washings.
This is a great addition to a mola collection.

Size: 18-3/4" x 15-1/4"

The difference in the colors on left side of the mola above is from the scans. The mola is fine -

Click for close-ups.

Pipa Mor - Pipes Mola

(Pair)

This is a very nice set of vintage molas from the mid to late 1970's. It is a "sergan" or one of the designs created by the ancestors. Both of the molas have the same color schemes but they are placed in a different order. The pink and the orange are inverted making them a good example of the subtle differences in the front and back of the blouse.

The molas are in overall good condition considering the age. They are slightly faded, particularly the black base fabrics. They are soft from the wear and the many washings. No tears or stains that I can observe.

Dimensions: 19" x 14"

Please click on the above image for a larger view and details. Thanks

Vintage "Kuna Symbol" Mola

This is a very old mola from the 1940's or 50's. It shows 36 little Kuna symbols. These swastika-like design have nothing to do with Hitler or the Nazis. It is the symbol that is shown on the Kuna Flag. It was very popular during the Kuna Revolution in the mid 1920's.

The mola is nicely made from three layers of fabric. It shows signs of extensive wear. It has some small stains, some of the "symbols" are unsewn on the corners. The second layer (gray) has a seam down the center which gives the impression that the Kuna woman that made the blouse stitched the two halves together to make her mola.

This interesting mola would be a good addition to your mola collection.

Dimensions: 22-1/4" x 16"

Click on the image for better views. Will open in a new window. Takes a while to down load.

Lovely Dove (Paloma) Mola

This extraordinary mola is not quite vintage, probably about 10 - 15 years old at the most, but I really don't have a better category to put it in.

It belonged to a young Kuna girl and was probably made for her by her mother or grandmother which is the tradition. The design shows a a dove, or "Paloma"as the mola maker has indicated on the bird. It is very well made in reverse applique. The stitches are very tiny and even and very neat on both the front and the reverse side of the mola. The mola maker has outlined her creation in a double suidi-suidi (sawtooth) stitch that is very difficult, time consuming and intricate. She has adorned the dove with lovely embroidery. For the background she used colored triangles as well as a flower and a branch. It's in excellent condition. Nice and soft from the wear. No stains or rips.

There's not too much fabric around the border as she seems to have cut through the fabric when taking it off of her blouse instead of taking it off by cutting out the stitches.

Dimensions: 14-1/2" x 11-3/4"

Airplane Mola Pair

This is a pair of older molas with an extraordinary design. They show an eagle with outspread wings, between the wings is an airplane with the pilot and passengers. On the top mola the plane is in flight while on the bottom mola it is on the ground, probably taking off or landing. what appears to be some sort of a fighter plane with two curious looking pilots. The design was probably inspired by the airplanes that the Kunas saw so often at Howard or Albrook Air Force Stations. It is another example of the American influence in the Kuna culture and the U.S. presence in Panama.

The eagle's wings are very colorful. They are very well made with a great variety of stitches. The molas are slightly faded from the wear. The age is approximately 15 years old but I really don't know for sure. They are both in very good condition. No rips or stains.

Dimensions: 17-3/4" x 15"

Price: $72.00 each or $130.00 for the pair

Four Swimming Fish Mola

This mola is from the early to mid eighties and has a superb design of four fish that seem to be swimming in the waters of the Carribbean. It shows signs of wear and is slightly faded and soft from the washings. Obviously a favorite of the Kuna mola maker. The mola has a dark red/maroon top layer and a synthetic golden/brown base layer. The black outline fabric is placed directly on the base layer. This technique is known as "obogaled". It is a complicated technique that requires careful planning. The fishes eyes are outlined in white embroidery... great work. This mola no doubtedly took many hours of work to complete.

The mola has slight fadings but no tears, rips, or stains. It is in very good condition and a great collectible.

Dimensions: 15-1/2" x 13"

Vintage Monkeys Mola

This is a very small mola that probably belonged to a small child. It is an old design that represents monkeys in the rainforest. There are 10 monkeys in all. The mola is from the late fifities or early sixties but it is of lightweight material. It is neatly stitched. The mola shows the wear and the age. It has a very tiny tear and soiled in spots.

Dimensions: 12" x 9"

Galu Mor

(Spirit House Mola)

This mola represents the Spirit House, where the Neles and Medicine Men gather to invoke the many spirits during a sickness or other ritual. It is definitely one of the most attractive "Galu" molas that I have come across. The Medicine Men, the "uchus" and the "purbas" are depicted here. I can identify some of them: In the top and bottom center are one of the "Neles" with the "patient", in the mere center is the "Purba" or spirit, probably the one that is causing the sickness. In the bottom left square is one of the "uchus" or wooden figurines made from balsa wood whose "spirit or purba" battles with the spirit causing the malady. The figure in the right center square represent the chants that the Nele recites during the ritual. I'm not sure exactly what the other figures represent.

The mola is between 20 - 25 years old. It is slightly but nicely faded from the wear, giving it a "lived in" look. The bottom or base fabric is a red "ottomano" that is no longer obtainable, at least in San Blas or Panama City.

The quality of the workmanship is very good, particularly for an old piece, such as this one. The smoke (from the leaves that the Nele's smoke during the ritual) is seen coming out of the chimney and is embroidered in pastel colored threads. For the background the mola-maker has used the greek-key pattern. It is made from three full layers of fabric: maroon, orange and red. The back of the mola is extremely neat. The stitches are small and it is in very good condition considering the wear.

Dimensions: 17-1/2" x 12-3/4"

Air Force 1 !!!

This is an old mola with an extraordinary design. It shows an eagle with outspread wings and between them is what appears to be some sort of a fighter plane with two curious looking pilots. The design was probably inspired during the war. It is another example of the American influence in the Kuna culture and the U.S. presence in Panama.

The eagle's wings are very colorful. It is well made but faded from the wear. The age is approximately 15 - 20 years old but I really don't know for sure.

Dimensions:

The thumbnails above are terrible.... please be sure to click for a better view.

Superior Abstract Design Mola Pair from the Fifties!

Please be sure to click on the images so that you can see a better view of the molas because the small images to the left are very bad!

This is a very nice pair of Vintage molas - from the 1950's. They are abstract designs that supposedly represent the cross view of the stems of medicinal plants, at the top and the bottom there is a leaf-like design.

The molas are excellently made in the reverse applique technique. The mola maker used the "oboglad" stitch that is very difficult and time consuming. The method where one color (orange ) interlock with the other (redish-maroon). The orange fabric is tucked under on both sides.

The colors are quite out of the ordinary. She used a turquise ottomano fabric that is no longer obtainable for the underlayer. This fabric was widely used several decades ago as it was obtained from the Colombian traders that visited the islands and exchanged bolts of fabric for coconuts.

The mola is in excellent condition for it's age. It is soft from the wear and washings and if you look very closely you will find a few very small soiled spots but they do not detract from the appearance or the value of the mola in any way. They are very slightly but nicely faded. Collector's Quality!

Dimensions: 17-1/2" x 13-1/4"

" Abanicos" ~ Fans Mola

This is an early acculturation mola from the early sixties, or possible mid to late fifties. It shows two fans. Probably a favorite items for the Kunas because of the heat and humidity on the Islands. The mola-maker has used the dientes or sawtooth stitch to outline the central figures and has cut-out very small squares in the top fabric which she has turned under making the colors show thru.

The top and bottom layers of the mola are the old "Ottomano" fabric, years ago obtained from the Colombian traders that visited the island. They traded fabric and sewing materials and other hard goods for coconuts. This fabric is virtually unobtainable now.

The mola measures: 16" x 12"

Be sure to click on the image above for a large view.

"MISI MOR"

Cats Mola

This mola is from the 1960's, or maybe earlier. It portrays a whimisical pair of cats. Made by the mola-maker for herself and worn often! It is in very good condition but has a tiny hole and some very small and almost unnoticeable stains. The top and bottom layers are made from the old "Ottomano" fabric that is now virtually unobtainable. Still bright and colorful.

Dimensions: 19" x 14-3/4"

Owl Mola

This is an abstract design of an owl. Two tone, Maroon on a bright purple underlayer.

From the 1960's. Good condition signs of wear.

Lightweight fabric.

Coconut Tree Mola

Coconuts are a very prized commodity in Kuna Yala (San Blas) and this mola portrays the coconuts of in exaggerated dimension.

Pair of Jugs Mola

SUAR MOR

Birds Mola

This vintage mola has three layers of cotton fabric: A top maroon layer, a black middle layer and a bottom white layer. It is also from the mid 1960's. A very interesting and simple design that depicts two pairs of birds facing each other and underneath each pair is a small baby bird.

Molitas& Mola Crafts