Guna Mola Panel with Twin Owls

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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 × 18.5 inches A charming mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery featuring two mirrored owls rendered in bold, frontal composition. Each owl displays a broad, rounded head with pointed ear tufts, oversized circular eyes with concentric rings in red, orange, and green surrounding white appliqué pupils, and a wide jagged beak or mouth rendered in layered zigzag forms. The heads are filled with dense multicolored running stitch embroidery in radiating rows of pink, yellow, turquoise, purple, and blue, creating a textured, feathered effect. The owls' bodies are squat and barrel-shaped, densely packed with layered decorative elements including repeating crescent-shaped motifs in multicolored outlines — pink, blue, green, orange, and yellow — suggesting stylized plumage or breast feathers. Zigzag bands in graduated colors cascade down the torsos, each outlined in contrasting hues that create visual depth and rhythmic movement. At the base, each owl stands on small feet rendered with white appliqué toes. The left owl is predominantly outlined in yellow with turquoise secondary channels, while the right owl features pink and magenta outlines, creating deliberate color differentiation between the pair. The two figures are separated by a narrow vertical space with orange parallel line elements and flanked by short colored dashes in yellow, turquoise, and blue along the outer edges. The overall composition fills the field with bold presence, the symmetrical arrangement creating a watchful, totemic quality. Owls hold significance in Guna cosmology, often associated with nocturnal spirits and the supernatural world. The pairing of two owl figures may represent guardian spirits or complementary forces within the Guna spiritual tradition. Worked on vibrant red cotton ground with layers in black, yellow, turquoise, pink, magenta, orange, green, blue, and white. Three-layer construction with fine hand-stitching throughout. Dense multicolored running stitch embroidery in the head fields. Complex curved cutwork in the eye forms and layered zigzag body patterning. Strong compositional control with balanced bilateral arrangement. Single panel on red cotton ground with black backing visible. This piece exemplifies the tradition of zoomorphic representation in Guna mola art, demonstrating playful yet spiritually resonant depictions of the natural world. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection Opus 4.6Extended

  Condition

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

  • In House Shipping is available and we will combine for economy. We will charge a $5 per additional lot within the same box. All items are shipped with Insurance. In person pick up is also available in our Princeton, NJ Auction Facility.

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