Guna Mola Panel with Abstract Letterform Composition

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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 × 19 inches An exceptional mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery featuring a bold abstract composition of four large letterforms arranged in a symmetrical grid pattern. The panel demonstrates sophisticated graphic design sensibilities and technical mastery, creating a composition that bridges traditional Guna aesthetic vocabulary with modernist typography and Western textual elements. The composition is organized as a precise four-square grid divided by a prominent cross motif at center. Each quadrant contains a single large letterform executed in elaborate multi-layered reverse appliqué with extensive embroidery detailing. This arrangement creates both textual meaning and pure visual pattern, demonstrating the Guna tradition of incorporating encountered Western text into decorative compositions where letters function simultaneously as linguistic signs and abstract design elements. Each letter is rendered as a complex multi-layered form outlined in bold yellow against black ground, creating strong graphic impact. The letters are filled with concentric bands of color in pink, orange, and black, with each letter containing unique interior decorative elements. The "B" form in upper left features curved loops filled with blue embroidered dashes and small geometric triangular elements suggesting seeds or decorative patterning. The "A" form in upper right displays a distinctive three-pronged or trident-like apex with blue zigzag patterning and geometric triangle accents within each arm. The "N" form in lower left shows dramatic diagonal strokes outlined in turquoise and orange, creating dynamic angular movement across the quadrant. The interior is filled with vertical white embroidered dashes creating striped effects. The final "R" form in lower right echoes the curved vocabulary of the upper left letter but with different interior patterning, featuring small oval shapes with yellow and turquoise embroidered dashes creating textural interest. The entire field is densely worked with thousands of embroidered running stitches in white, yellow, pink, blue, green, and turquoise creating stippled textural backgrounds that activate every inch of the surface. This extensive embroidery work transforms the red ground into a vibrating field of color and pattern, demonstrating exceptional technical skill and patience. At center where the four quadrants meet, a diamond-shaped motif with pink fill serves as compositional anchor, unifying the four letterforms into a cohesive mandala-like arrangement. Small triangular corner elements in pink, blue, and green provide additional geometric articulation at the four corners of the panel, framing the central composition and creating visual rhythm at the periphery. Yellow appliqué dashes along the left and right edges create vertical accent lines suggesting text columns or decorative borders. The three-layer construction creates depth through color reveals, with each letter showing multiple concentric bands achieved through successive cutting and folding of fabric layers. The precision of the cutwork, particularly in the curved forms of the "B" and "A" letters and the angular strokes of the "N", demonstrates advanced technical skill. The density of embroidery throughout—with literally thousands of individual stitches creating backgrounds, fills, and decorative accents—represents hundreds of hours of meticulous handwork. The bold color palette dominated by red ground with black, yellow, orange, pink, blue, and turquoise creates vibrant visual energy appropriate to the celebratory or commercial implications of the banana reference. Bananas hold enormous economic, political, and cultural significance in Panama and Central America more broadly, representing both agricultural prosperity and complex histories of United Fruit Company involvement, labor movements, and economic dependence on export agriculture. This piece exemplifies a fascinating genre of Guna molas that incorporate Western commercial, agricultural, or brand terminology into traditional textile formats. The transformation of the letters "B, A, N, R" into elaborate decorative letterforms elevates commercial vocabulary into art object, creating a complex document that simultaneously celebrates agricultural abundance, acknowledges economic realities, and asserts Indigenous artistic agency in representing and transforming symbols of Western commercial culture. Worked on deep red cotton ground with layers in black, yellow, orange, pink, blue, turquoise, and green. Three layers with exceptionally dense hand-stitching and embroidery throughout. Complex letterform cutwork with elaborate interior patterning. Strong symmetrical composition unifying textual and decorative functions. Single panel on red cotton ground with white backing. This piece exemplifies the documentary, economic, and aesthetic functions of Guna mola art, demonstrating the creative transformation of Western agricultural and commercial vocabulary into sophisticated abstract design while maintaining the technical excellence and decorative richness of traditional Guna textile practice. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Good condition with minor wear consistent with age and a few spots. 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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