Guna Mola Political Campaign Portrait for Deputy Candidate Alonso Fernández

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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 × 17.5 inches A striking political portrait mola worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting a candidate for the Panamanian National Assembly. Multicolored text across the top reads "ALONSO FERNANDEZ," identifying the candidate, with "DIPUTADO" (Deputy) adjacent. Text at the lower left reads "POREL" — the maker's rendering of Por el (For the) — followed by "EALINDO," the maker's phonetic rendering from memory of Galindo, a presidential candidate. "PRESIDENTE" appears prominently across the bottom in large multicolored letters, indicating that Fernández ran on the ticket of a presidential candidate named Galindo. The composition is dominated by a large frontal portrait bust of the candidate, rendered with bold graphic intensity. The figure wears distinctive round teal spectacles with embroidered eyelashes radiating from each lens and white appliqué eyes with black pupils. A pink appliqué nose sits between the lenses, and spiral forms at each cheek suggest a broad, genial face. The mouth is rendered in pink with individually appliquéd white teeth, giving the figure a wide, engaging grin — the expression of a candidate appealing directly to voters. Dense yellow vertical embroidered lines fill the face, creating a vibrant striped effect. The head is framed by concentric outlines in red, green, and yellow, with multicolored embroidered lines suggesting hair across the forehead. Below the head, a prominent necktie in burgundy with horizontal striped embroidery in alternating red and white extends downward, tapering to a pointed end — a detail that characterizes the candidate as a man of Western-style professional dress. The figure's right arm extends outward to the right, culminating in a large, expressively rendered open hand. The hand is outlined in red and green with yellow-outlined fingers spread wide, showing white and black fingertips, and a pink palm — a gesture of greeting, openness, or political appeal. A second, smaller raised hand appears at the upper right, reinforcing the gestural dynamism of the composition. Two small Panamanian flags in blue, white, and red with embroidered details appear within the composition — one near the figure's head and another at the lower right — reinforcing the national political context. Groups of vertical dash elements in alternating colors — green, teal, blue, orange, pink, magenta, yellow, and purple — densely fill all remaining space around the figure. This piece is a remarkable example of political portraiture within the mola tradition, transforming campaign imagery into an expressive textile artwork. The maker has captured the candidate's individual features — particularly the eyeglasses, which serve as a distinguishing identifier — with vivid personality and graphic power. The linkage of a Deputy candidate to a presidential running mate on a single panel documents the structure of Panamanian party-slate politics as understood and commemorated by Guna textile artists. As characteristic of Guna textile tradition, all text is rendered from memory with phonetic spelling and stylistic interpretation. Worked on black cotton ground with layers in red and teal. Fine hand-stitching throughout with consistent stitch density. Dense, fully filled composition with elaborate embroidered facial details and multicolored appliqué lettering throughout. Orange cotton backing visible at edges. Single panel on black cotton ground with orange backing. A similar photo of this mola can be found on page 214 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  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.
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