These Whimsical Molas have all been sold. They are here for you to enjoy. If you would like one similar to any of these, let me know and it may be possible that I have the matching pair in my personal collection or if not I may be able to get you a similar one.

Be sure to click on the images to see a larger version. It will open in a new window.

Storybook Mola - Mr. Mole

This very cute mola was probably inspired from a picture in a torybook. It reminds me of one of the characters from Kenneth Grahams story the Wind in the Willows. This is Mr. Mole, walking in the park with a valentine under his arm. Miss Mole.

The mola has very nice and intricate stitches. The mola maker used the difficult "suidi-suidi" or sawtooth stitch around the main characters. Lots of beautiful embroidery and colorful applications as well as the multi-colored triangles used for the background add color and enhance this great design.

The mola is relatively new and it excellent condition. No rips, stains, tears or fading.

Dimensions: 16" x 13"

Storybook Mola - The Tortoise & The Hare

This is a very nice mola that portrays a popular fable - The tortoise & the Hare - or at least a variation thereof. Here we have The hare holding the turtoises' hand making sure that he keeps up with him. The seem to be on the way to school because Mr. Hare is reading a book while the turtle is carrying his book under his arm. They don't want to be late!

The mola probably belonged to an adolescent but because of the quality of the workmanship it is quite obvious that it was made by her mother or grandmother.

The workmanship on this mola is excellent. It has very small and even suidi-suidi or sawtooth stitch and very pretty embroidery sitches that enhance the mola. Plants were used as filler elements and tiny colored triangles fill the background.

Approximately 5 years old and is in excellent condition.

The image doesn't do it justice - the mola is much nicer that what is shown.

Dimensions:15" x 12-7/8"

Bird Family Mola

I am listing this mola in the whimsical section because it is the pair to the Whimsical Owls above and I really hate to see pairs get split up.

This is another very excllent mola with many details. A mother bird is feeding her three newly hatched babies while the father bird watches.

The bodies of the birds, nest and tree branches have embroidery details. The delicate suidi-suidi (sawtooth) stitch surrounds the design and small colored triangles in the background add liveliness to the mola.

Dimensions: 18" x 13-1/4"

Rooster and Hen Mola

This very colorful mola is sure to brighten up any any spot in your home. It shows a charming rooster and hen in a garden. It is made in reverse applique with some applications added for details. The mola maker has also used embroidery on the fowl to further enhance her design. The background is the "greek key" pattern.

The top layer is a bright orange, the middle layer is black and the bottom or base layer is a light green synthetic fabric. It was worn on the blouse of the mola maker and is approximately 5 years old.

Dimensions: 17-1/2" x 13"

Griffins/Gryphons Mythological Beast Pair

Kunas have their own mythology and beliefs but they often borrow elements from other cultures for their mola motifs. It is not surprising that the "griffins" have caught their fancy. These mythological beasts with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle have probably been copied from a book. More than likely, the Kuna mola maker added the human faces.

Nice quality workmanship. Lots of details. The molas are more than 10 years old. Their size is unusual which leads me to suspect that they have not been worn on a blouse but they have been washed many times as the fabric is soft and slightly faded.

Dimensions:14-3/4" x 13-3/4"

This turtle shows a giant turtle that has encountered two super-heros. The towards the right is probably meant to be Wonder Woman, with her cape and flippy hair do. but I can't identify the muscular he-man. The mola is nicely made with a lot of embroidery details, and colorful triangles for the background. The main characters are outlined with the suidi-suidi (sawtooth or dientes stitch) which is nice and even.

Dimensions: 15-3/4" x 14-3/4"

SOLD

U.S. Armed Forces Radar Station

This mola is a wonderful example of the influence of the U.S. Armed Forces in Panama, also among the Kuna Indians. How they came up with this design is a mystery to me because my guess is that any station of this kind that may have been here was probably super top secret! The radar has parabolic antennas.

The soldiers are driving this colossal contraption thru heavy traffic and the automobile drivers seem to be a bit exasperated while the passengers? all wave good-bye.

Hand made using the reverse applique technique, the central figure is outlined in the difficult sawtooth or dientes stitch. The parapolic antennas have tiny square cut-outs and commercial zig-zag or rick-rack as enhancements. The background has tiny triangles in many colors.

This mola was made at least 10 or 12 years ago but is very much in vogue today as it can also be interpreted to symbolize the U.S. presence waving goodbye to the people of Panama as they leave the isthmus with their equipment.

Dimensions: 16"x 14-1/2"

Chicken Thief Mola Pair

Here we have a delightful pair of molas that portray a far too common scene in San Blas. It is the unpopular chicken thief or "Ladrón de Gallinas". The swindler wears a big hat and a cape and is holding on tight to his stolen treasure. A symmetrical pair of birds, presumed to be chickens, are part of this whimsical design. The molas are hand sewn using the reverse applique technique. The backgrounds have been filled with vertical cuts that show many colored fabrics.

This pair of molas were once worn on a Kuna Indian woman's blouse. The designs are very similar but different colors. The red mola has a tiny discoloration near the chicken thief's face. They are slightly but very nicely faded. (Click on the image for a close-up)

Dimensions:

Black Mola: 15-3/5" x 13" - Up for auction on ebay

Red Mola: 16" x 12-1/4" -Bonus!

Delightful! Bugs Mola

This is another great pair of molas that, like all of my molas have been worn on a blouse by the mola maker.

The design for these very intricate molas has probably been borrowed from a child's storybook Possibly Its a Bugs Life? I don't have a clue of what the story may be, but the illustrations certainly did inspire the Kuna Indian that made this mola to do an outstanding job. In the top mola a little firefly seems to be finding it's way among the flowers in a garden while the dragonfly follows. In the bottom mola we what may be a butterfly and a bumble bee in flight as well. A little moth is used as a filler.

These are very intricate and made with much details. The hair on the little insects is solid embroidery in different pastel colors. The background is filled with tiny triangles and the bodies and wings of the insects have wonderful embroidery stitches as well. The central figures are outlined using the sawtooth or dientes stitch.

They are are made with three complete layers of fabric. The bottom layer is a pink synthetic fabric, not purple as it looks on my screen. This bottom fabric is unraveling a little on the ends but it certainly does not detract from this fine piece of Kuna folk art.

Dimensions: 15-1/2" x 13-1/2"

Whimsical Sea Turtle Mola

This exquisite mola represents an out of the ordinary sea turtle who wearing his boots while swimming in the Caribbean waters. He has what appears to be a bird of some sort on his back. Other abstract forms of sea life also form a part of the design. The mola maker has given evidence of her creativity in her use of a beautiful combination of bright colors, that make the mola vivacious and original. The turtle's shell is covered with multi-colored triangles and and a zig zag design. The background is filled with vertical cuts, called "das-das"in a rainbow of colors.

The mola is less than five years old. Was used on a blouse by it's maker and is in excellent condition.

Dimensions: 15-1/2"x 12-3/4"

Hungry Hawk Mola

This is a well made mola that portrays a hawk that has plunged into the waters of the Caribbean to "capture" an unfortunate turtle.

The mola is hand made using the reverse applique technique , it has a lot of intricate details that include colorful applications, embroidery stitches and the time consuing sawtooth or dientes stich. The victim (turtle) has a very colorful and detailed shell.The background is filled with multiple colored triangles.

This mola is approximately 8 years old. It has been worn on a blouse and washed many times. It is in overall good condition. A few loose stitches on the hawk's wing. (left side) and on the back side of the turtle.

Dimensions: 15-1/2"x 14-1/2

"Maidens" Mola Pair

This is a very nice pair of molas of two young maidens. One is kneeling in a garden among flowers and the other suggests a mermaid or an aquarius motif. Applications represent the scales on the mermaid's tail. The flower maiden's dress is decorated with beautifully colored circles. They were booth panels on a young Kuna lady's blouse but are in a like new condition. . The are hand sewn using reverse applique and they are enhanced by nice embroidery stitches. Tiny orange triangles fill the background.

Dimensions:

Flower Maiden: 16-3/4" x 14"

Mermaid: 16-1/2" x 14-1/2"

Jogging Dinosaur Mola

Here we have a nicely attired dinosaur, complete with jogging shorts, t-shirt & tennis shoes who is listening to his "Walkman"? CD thru headphones as he jogs thru the Rainforest! He is already out of breath because his tongue is sticking out of his mouth.

The mola maker has used here ingenuity on this super whimsical mola. As design elements she has used the sawtooth or dientes stitch to outline the main character and for the teeth of course. The t-shirt, shorts & tail have nice circular applications. The tennis shoes have embroidery for shoe laces and minute cutouts. As background filler elements she used vertical cutouts, a headphone an aligator-like head etc..

Maroon, Black & Yellow are the main colors and she has inserted swatches of other colors also. The mola is relatively new. No more than a couple years old.

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

Lovely Swan Mola

This is a very nice nola of a swan that is swimming among colorful aquatic flowers. The mola-maker probably "borrowed" this design from the illustration of a child's story-book. Maybe the Ugly Duckling that turns into a swan.

Reverse Applique. 3 layers of cotton fabric. Lots of minute multi-colored triagles enhance the design.

Dimensions: 17" x 13-1/2"

Man on a Burro

This design of a man on a donkey reminds me of a Mexican movie scene where the main male actor has been dumped by the beautiful heroine and is drowning his sorrows in liquor while playing his guitar.

Very nicely made, very ingricate details. The mola measures 16-1/2"x 13".

Maroon top, Black middle & white bottom layer.

Sold on Ebay

Fun Pair of Birds Mola

This amusing pair of birds are sure to make anyone smile. The mola is very nicely made, it has the vertical cut background used as a filler. Nice embroidered details on the birds'crests & bodies.

One more example of the great sense of humor that characterizes the Kuna women. This mola was once a panel on a Kuna woman's blouse!

Dimensions: 17"x 13"

Sold on Ebay

Pineapple and Chicken Mola

This is a charming mola of a delightful little chicken drinking his pineapple juice with a straw directly from the fruit.

Great details include tiny triangles in the background and colorful applications. It also has nice embroidery stitches on the pineapple leaves and the chicken's face, beak etc...

17 x 12-3/4 inches - 3 layers cotton fabric

Sold on ebay.

RCA - Victrola Mola

This is mola a wonder example of a design that is inspired on a trademark. This one portrays the RCA Victor trademark dog Nipper with the victrola. This design is one of the oldest trademark molas. It first appeared in the 1950's. The original RCA is now CA and RCA Victor Rec is now Perro Musical.

Reverse applique hand stitched mola. It has many different colors. Vertical stitch background. This was the back panel of a blouse because "Perro Musical" - Musical Dog is misspelled - backwards! The front panel has been sold.

16-1/2 x 13 inches - 3 layers cotton fabric

SOLD!

Duck Mola

Beautifully stitched with very nice details in embroidery stitches, traditional vertical reverse applique stitches and great color contrast.

SOLD on Ebay

Caballo Mola

This is a very cute mola of a horse with it's rider.

To make sure that there was no doubt as to the nature of the animal, the mola maker made sure to label it "Caballo" written forward and in reverse!

SOLD on Ebay

Red Riding Hood Mola

There is no doubt as to the subject of this very detailed and nicely stitched mola. The story of Little Red Riding Hood is told to children of many many cultures.

SOLD on Ebay

Hen pulling a Cart Mola

Another very creative mola that is sure to put a smile on your face. This cart is driven by an angel who holds the reigns in her hand and a branch in other.She is showing the branch to the hen to get her to move along. A cat waves good-bye as the cart passes.

The vertical stitches in a multitude of colors give it a nice background. The embroidery on the angel and the hen are very nicely done. The saw-tooth or "dientes" stitch used to outline the main image is very time consuming. The feathers on the hen's body and tail

3 layers: Maroon - Orange (smaller panel) -

Dimensions: 15-3/4" x 12-7/8"

Currently on auction on Ebay

Sold on Ebay

Smoking - Sunbathing Shark Mola

Here is the most comical of sharks! This shark with big lips is sunbathing on the front end of a motor boat while smoking a cigarette, drinking a beverage and probably eating some potato chips. The shark's tail is in the water. Another shark is watching her. A well done combination of vertical stitches and geometric designs are used on the boat and also as background. Green rick-rack outlines the shark.

Three complete layers of fabric: Red- Royal Blue and Black and a many smaller swatches in between.

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

Tarzan and Friends Mola

Here is a Kuna mola-maker's version of Edgar Rice Burrough's Tarzan. .. or "Tarsan" for this lady. It shows the lord of the jungle riding upon a beatifully stitched elephant with his friend and companion Cheetah. The other jungle animals look on.

Dimensions: 15-1/2"x 13-1/2"

Bartender in Conch Shell Mola

(Smirnoff Trademark Mola)

This is another great mola! It shows a monkey bartender, with glasses and tie, serving drinks. The design was originally created in the late 60's or early 70's. The mola shows glasses ready for a Vodka Martini and bottles of Smirnoff Vodka, complete with trademark emblem. the glass to the left even has a cherry in it.

Dimensions: 16-1/4" x 14"

Sold on Ebay

Rocking Horse Mola

This charming little rocking horse would look beautiful in a child's nursery! Nice applications are applies to the horse's body and the saddle is done in embroidery stitches.

Dimensions: 16-1/4" x 13"

Currently on Auction on Ebay

Sold on Ebay

Colorful Butterfly and Fish Mola Pair

These were at one time the front and the back panels of the same blouse. Hand sewn using the reverse applique method, they also have small applications in many colors that enhance the designs.

The background is filled with vertical cuts of many swatches of fabric and the main figures are outlined in the very intricate saw-tooth or dientes stitch.

Animals of all kinds are very popular motifs for the Kuna's molas. Inspired on what the encounter in their environment.

They measure 16"x 13" .

Redish/Maroon top layer and Black bottom layer.

Price: SOLD ON EBAY

Dancing Fish Mola

The Kuna woman that made this mola has really shown her creativity and ingenuity in the design of this mola that portrays a pair of cute fish that seem to be dancing.

It has nice embroidery stitches, and many swatches of colors between the orange top and black bottom layers.

Dimensions: 16-1/2" x 13"