Molas of the Kuna People
The women of the Kuna people, who live in the San Blas Archipelago off the northeastern coast of Panama, have an unusual way of expressing their religious beliefs. They witness to them on hand-stitched, rectangular panels of layered cotton cloth, attached to the front and back of their blouses. These decorative faith and fashion statements, known as molas (the Kuna word for “shirt” or “clothes”), intertwine brilliantly colored geometric patterns with imagery drawn from nature, native folklore, and Bible stories.
Anthropologists trace the origins of mola art back to the elaborate designs Kuna women once painted on their bodies. When Spanish colonizers and missionaries compelled them to wear clothes, they simply transposed these decorative motifs onto fabric.
Molas are made through a complicated process of reverse applique stitching. From two to seven layers of different colored cotton cloth are basted together to form a mola panel. Kuna sewers first make a pencil design on the top layer of cloth. Then, using a finely pointed pair of scissors, they snip through the fabric pieces to reveal the colors they want to be seen from the layers underneath. The rough edges of the cloth holes are notched, folded under, and closed off with a hemming stitch. The largest areas of the design are usually cut away from the upper layers of cloth. Sometimes, new colors are added by sewing in separate patches of fabric.
Well-intentioned Peace Corps workers brought in treadle machines, so the Kuna people could make more molas for the tourist trade--with an inevitable drop in quality. The most prized molas are panels, hand-stitched in the time-honored way, which have actually been worn on blouses. Although mola-making dates back no more than 170 years, it has become a focus of Kuna ethnic pride. When Panamanian authorities tried to pressure the San Blas islanders to abandon their traditions and wear modern dress, they rebelled in 1925 and eventually won home-rule.
The Kuna molas in my collection display a curious mix of conservative Protestant and Pentecostal motifs, such as the cross with two open Bibles in Christ, the Only Hope, traditional Roman Catholic imagery, depicting the Passion of Christ like The Sixth Station of the Cross, and unusual interpretations of Christian lore such as Saint Francis with the bird on his shoulder, beside three crosses and four angelic creatures. Jesus & the Woman at the Well holds the unique distinction of having been made by a male mola-stitcher named Prado.
![Descent of the Holy Spirit Descent of the Holy Spirit](/cache/468e56c10c3874a894b881bdab71ac44_w140.jpg)
Descent of the Holy Spirit
![Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden](/cache/1fae71b773bd4961cdc657f9b4d06d1f_w140.jpg)
Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden
![Noah & the Ark Noah & the Ark](/cache/66b63767046a4a882b315417f104ba2e_w140.jpg)
Noah & the Ark
![The Rescue of Baby Moses The Rescue of Baby Moses](/cache/996b54da92160e14652764f2c6bf166e_w140.jpg)
The Rescue of Baby Moses
![Moses Parts the Red Sea Moses Parts the Red Sea](/cache/8008261654b871ea8dd667939dff7332_w140.jpg)
Moses Parts the Red Sea
![Moses Receives the Ten Commandments Moses Receives the Ten Commandments](/cache/10065c8472ce4bfb6e5ba82a9f1379ce_w140.jpg)
Moses Receives the Ten Commandments
![The Ark of the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant](/cache/082bfc697e56b6030501c971e6a4b1fe_w140.jpg)
The Ark of the Covenant
![David Kills Goliath David Kills Goliath](/cache/786ae222b843913f06b8fd1b938dab2d_w140.jpg)
David Kills Goliath
![King Solomon King Solomon](/cache/23d8ca94161de1c2bdebfec5c5a2ba0f_w140.jpg)
King Solomon
![The Wisdom of Solomon The Wisdom of Solomon](/cache/a4ec3019182a7b808f155419605dbda4_w140.jpg)
The Wisdom of Solomon
![Jonah and the Great Fish Jonah and the Great Fish](/cache/872bac153265d289b46f5652454f40a2_w140.jpg)
Jonah and the Great Fish
![Jonah & the Whale Jonah & the Whale](/cache/f1bae022d6c0432ea4ca0051dd161408_w140.jpg)
Jonah & the Whale
![Holy Mary Our Mother Holy Mary Our Mother](/cache/7c45fe074a83884aec17866701d7f230_w140.jpg)
Holy Mary Our Mother
![immaculate Heart of Mary immaculate Heart of Mary](/cache/6d02c9a01c79e76fc959e1f66b691dff_w140.jpg)
immaculate Heart of Mary
![The Holy Family The Holy Family](/cache/62b89faabc5402a3c2956bd62a0cf16f_w140.jpg)
The Holy Family
![The Nativity The Nativity](/cache/34260bacea2b859adaf566b8d4056928_w140.jpg)
The Nativity
![Nativity with Cat Nativity with Cat](/cache/96d5a11e9c8935b9f17cb872ed654efa_w140.jpg)
Nativity with Cat
![The Nativity The Nativity](/cache/c7fa3f98bdfd15324f508fa56240eec4_w140.jpg)
The Nativity
![The Flight Into Egypt The Flight Into Egypt](/cache/f6f593bd2ad93b217cafe434fe21ab8a_w140.jpg)
The Flight Into Egypt
![The Calling of the Apostle Peter The Calling of the Apostle Peter](/cache/b39372faddef6d1ccf0886a67e2b6f4f_w140.jpg)
The Calling of the Apostle Peter
![Jesus & the Woman at the Well Jesus & the Woman at the Well](/cache/026fcaf54e441f86c29e549b8f944866_w140.jpg)
Jesus & the Woman at the Well
![Jesus in the Garden Jesus in the Garden](/cache/2121142f1b5d550b9e86c0345989e755_w140.jpg)
Jesus in the Garden
![Christ Carrying the Cross Christ Carrying the Cross](/cache/ac38f86dfe04f391086a31d7d2a54857_w140.jpg)
Christ Carrying the Cross
![The Sixth Station of the Cross The Sixth Station of the Cross](/cache/45efb79a84d2c31f6958a0a71bb22f2b_w140.jpg)
The Sixth Station of the Cross
![Crucifixion I Crucifixion I](/cache/fc80a5c267a2f1fca2bdb5468adc145e_w140.jpg)
Crucifixion I
![The Crucifiixion II The Crucifiixion II](/cache/85a15e8a70c9f251863de712c88a105c_w140.jpg)
The Crucifiixion II
![The Crucifixion III The Crucifixion III](/cache/cc1924b70883e532e6555ec9c253ed67_w140.jpg)
The Crucifixion III
![The Crucifixion IV The Crucifixion IV](/cache/7b38389661fdc6aa450e635f3b9adf33_w140.jpg)
The Crucifixion IV
![The Crucifixion V The Crucifixion V](/cache/80c007ed859c2b192aa8d44c8fe3c661_w140.jpg)
The Crucifixion V
![The Triumphant Christ The Triumphant Christ](/cache/5d296395e7f208a008a7272df7273a44_w140.jpg)
The Triumphant Christ
![The Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd](/cache/c2884fa198a7472e5971c63db43871f2_w140.jpg)
The Good Shepherd
![Saint Francis Saint Francis](/cache/fb281b4374005e2d73d9bba849d7f76b_w140.jpg)
Saint Francis
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Two Angels
![Guardian Angel Guardian Angel](/cache/4f783d421611ddaff6dcaca377bbc569_w140.jpg)
Guardian Angel
![Praying Angel Praying Angel](/cache/16a246a949915560d2e610c80a76a398_w140.jpg)
Praying Angel
![Cross & Fishes Cross & Fishes](/cache/66e1c8bf3ae75215e38943ace6cc2612_w140.jpg)
Cross & Fishes
![Christ, the Only Hope Christ, the Only Hope](/cache/ad88a32823e02fe097f5c671bc769d59_w140.jpg)
Christ, the Only Hope
![Holiness Church Holiness Church](/cache/eacd2e742b1759df70ca40b21d54b1d1_w140.jpg)
Holiness Church
![Holy Bible Holy Bible](/cache/f471b130b947e499cb7953878eeb6a6d_w140.jpg)
Holy Bible
![2 Thessalonians 3:1 2 Thessalonians 3:1](/cache/930362145e1b72d5af44a8dc7f2fc718_w140.jpg)