Guna Mola Panel with Sailing Vessel

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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 14 × 16 inches A colorful mola panel worked in 3 layers with reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting a large sailing vessel centered in the composition on a red ground — a subject reflecting the Guna people's maritime environment and their observations of trading ships and watercraft passing through the San Blas archipelago. The vessel's hull occupies the lower half of the panel, rendered as a broad crescent form with concentric outlines in green, orange, and black. The hull interior is richly textured with fields of dotted appliqué squares in blue and pink, and a row of oval portholes in black outlined individually in teal, yellow, and orange. A blue waterline band runs horizontally across the hull. From the bow at left, an anchor chain rendered in blue embroidered chain stitch descends to a yellow anchor motif below, while a small yellow arrow-shaped element appears nearby. Rising from the deck, a detailed cabin or wheelhouse structure displays architectural specificity — yellow-outlined doorways and windows with pink arched entries, embroidered cross motifs in multiple colors along a horizontal band suggesting a deck rail, and scroll-like decorative elements at the roofline. Above the cabin, a peaked gable roof is filled with scattered multicolored triangular appliqué elements in green, blue, orange, and yellow. Two large triangular sails extend upward from the vessel, each outlined in yellow and black with concentric color bands. The left sail is filled with rows of green dotted appliqué on a red ground; the right sail displays yellow dotted appliqué with vertical embroidered running stitch lines. Crossed rigging lines in blue and orange connect between the sail peaks, with additional multicolored triangular elements — suggesting pennants or flags — scattered within the upper triangular spaces. The surrounding field is populated with scattered multicolored triangular appliqué elements in blue, orange, green, yellow, pink, teal, and purple, each individually outlined in black, creating a festive confetti-like effect around the vessel. Worked on red cotton ground with layers in black, green, yellow, orange, blue, teal, pink, and purple. Fine hand-stitching throughout. Blue backing with green fabric strip visible at one edge on the reverse. This piece exemplifies the Guna tradition of documenting the maritime world — translating observed watercraft into bold, celebratory textile compositions that merge careful architectural observation with exuberant decorative invention. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear 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.
• Shipping Info

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