Guna Mola Panel Depicting Bullfighting Scene with "Chali Martines"

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The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1

By Dana Auctions LLC

May 16, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-05-16 11:00:00 2026-05-16 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/dana-auctions-llc/the-parker-neal-mola-collection---part-1-23111
The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction on May 16 presents a compelling selection of molas drawn from the renowned collection of Ann Parker and Avon Neal, co-authors of Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. This first offering has been thoughtfully curated to highlight some of the most interesting and visually striking examples from their extensive holdings. Dana Auctions LLC dana@danaauctions.com

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• Lot Description
  Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s 17 × 19 inches A dynamic mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting a bullfighting narrative with two interlocking figures — a large bull and a standing matador. Text bands across the body of the bull read "CHALI MARTINES," the maker's rendering from memory of "Charlie Martínez," likely referencing a popular bullfighter known through regional media or traveling spectacles. The bull dominates the left side of the composition, rendered in profile with a stylized face featuring embroidered eyes, nostrils, and horns, its massive body outlined in concentric layers of red, green, and orange against the charcoal ground. The matador stands upright at right, depicted frontally with a detailed embroidered face showing square eyes with red pupils, a pink nose, bared teeth, and a yellow necktie or collar. The figure holds a large red cape or muleta densely worked with multicolored embroidered dashes and a concentric yellow eye-form at center, engaging the bull in a moment of confrontation. The interplay of man and animal creates a unified, interlocking composition that fills the entire field. The surrounding ground is energized with vertical dash elements in alternating colors — yellow, blue, green, pink, orange, and lavender — creating visual rhythm across the charcoal field. As characteristic of Guna textile tradition, the text is rendered from memory with phonetic spelling, reflecting the maker's interpretation of observed popular culture. Bullfighting imagery in mola art documents the reach of Latin American popular entertainment culture into the San Blas Islands, where Guna women absorbed and reinterpreted spectacles encountered through travel, radio, print media, and word of mouth. Worked on black cotton ground with layers in red, green, and orange. Fine hand-stitching throughout with consistent stitch density and multicolored embroidered fill stitches creating texture across the figures. Dense composition with sophisticated cutwork featuring complex curves throughout the bull and matador forms. Single panel on black cotton ground with red backing visible. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear and fading consistent with age. In house Flat Rate US Shipping of $15 for 1 -10 molas, $5 each additional 10 molas. Insurance is additional and required.
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