Guna Mola Panel with Three Handsaws

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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 × 16.5 inches A bold, graphic mola panel worked in 3 layers with reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting three handsaws arranged vertically in a strongly geometric composition on a red ground — a subject reflecting the Guna practice of documenting Western trade goods and tools encountered through commerce with outsiders. Three elongated saw forms dominate the panel, rendered as tall rectangular blades outlined in teal and dark grey. Each blade is filled with horizontal bars of color — individually rendered in yellow, blue, pink, teal, green, orange, purple, and red — representing the saw teeth in a vivid chromatic sequence against the dark ground. The two outer saws mirror each other, while a central saw of slightly different proportion stands between them, joined to the flanking blades by a continuous zigzag seam edge in teal. Each saw handle projects from the top of the blade as a notched angular form. The handles feature distinctive oval openings — the grip holes rendered as large oval motifs with internal striping, pink on the left saw, yellow on the right, and orange at the lower center — with small square fastener or rivet details in white and red set below each grip. The careful attention to these construction details reveals close observation of actual tools. At the lower center, between the bases of the three blades, a shared oval form outlined in orange with internal striping echoes the handle grip motifs above, creating visual continuity across the composition. Small teal and green hash marks and additional color accents fill the interstitial spaces. The background field surrounding the saws is filled with short parallel hash marks in orange and yellow on the red ground, with additional accents in blue and teal at the upper right. Worked on red cotton ground with layers in dark grey, teal, orange, yellow, pink, blue, green, purple, and red. Fine hand-stitching throughout with consistent stitch density. Dark grey backing with red cotton edging visible on the reverse. Single panel on red cotton ground. This piece exemplifies the Guna tradition of elevating everyday manufactured objects into subjects of artistic fascination — transforming utilitarian hardware into a composition of striking graphic power through bold color sequencing and precise geometric rendering. A photo of a similar mola can be found on page 190 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear, fading, and some fabric loss 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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