Guna Mola Panel Depicting Topo Gigio with Television Imagery

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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 15 × 17.5 inches An exceptional mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting the Italian television character Topo Gigio surrounded by multiple television set motifs and supporting figures. This piece documents the Guna encounter with broadcast television and international children's programming during the 1970s-1980s, when Italian children's shows reached Latin American audiences and became part of popular visual culture. The central figure dominates the composition—a large anthropomorphic mouse rendered in bright red with blue outlining, displaying Topo Gigio's characteristic features: prominent rounded ears at the top of the head rendered as simple curved forms with white appliqué eyes and embroidered detail, an expressive smiling face with white appliqué buck teeth and orange nose outlined in yellow and blue, and a body filled with dense running-stitch embroidery creating horizontal banding in rainbow sequence—pink, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple against black ground. The arms extend outward with simplified yellow hand forms suggesting the puppet's gesturing pose familiar from television broadcasts. Surrounding the central Topo Gigio figure are multiple television set representations, depicted as nested rectangular frames in red, pink, and yellow outlining. Four prominent TV sets occupy the corners and upper positions of the composition, each containing smaller figures or imagery: Upper left television displays a simplified figure in red and blue with white eye detail, suggesting a viewer or additional character from the show. Upper right television contains a similar red figure with yellow outlining and embroidered detail. The television sets themselves are rendered with careful attention to the nested frame construction characteristic of vintage television cabinets, with multiple colored outlines creating depth. Additional supporting figures appear throughout the composition. At lower left, a quirky mechanical or robotic form in burgundy-red and orange displays text-like elements reading "GIGIO" in blue appliqué, directly referencing the character's name and demonstrating the maker's literacy or at least recognition of Latin alphabet forms associated with the program. Lower right presents a standing figure in bright pink with white eye details, possibly representing another puppet character or human figure from the broadcast. The composition is further enriched by scattered geometric and zoomorphic elements: a red bird or flying creature at upper center between two television sets, abstract curved forms suggesting waves or broadcast signals, and numerous vertical dashed embroidery lines in pink, turquoise, yellow, orange, and purple creating rhythmic patterning across the black ground—possibly representing television static, broadcast waves, or the energy of media transmission. The entire composition is framed by a bold curved border in red with pink and yellow outlining, creating a stage-like or screen-like boundary that contains the televisual narrative. Topo Gigio, created by Italian puppeteer Maria Perego in 1959, became an international sensation through television broadcasts and achieved particular popularity in Latin America. The character's appearances on variety shows and children's programming made him instantly recognizable across linguistic and cultural boundaries. This mola documents the Guna maker's engagement with this imported media character, transforming the flickering television image into permanent textile form and integrating foreign pop culture into traditional artistic practice. The inclusion of multiple television sets within the composition is particularly sophisticated—it suggests not just the character himself, but the entire experience of television viewing, the rectangular frame of the screen, and perhaps the phenomenon of multiple households watching the same broadcast simultaneously. The maker has created a meta-commentary on media consumption itself. Worked on black cotton ground with layers in red and additional appliqué elements. Exceptionally fine hand-stitching throughout with dense rainbow embroidery in the central figure's torso. Three-layer reverse appliqué construction with sophisticated nested rectangular forms representing television sets. Strong compositional control with central focus and symmetrical supporting elements. Single panel on black cotton ground with red backing visible at reverse. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear consistent with age. Colors remain vibrant. 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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