Guna Narrative Mola Panel Depicting Thunderbird and Halibut

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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 richly narrative mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting the mythological encounter between a thunderbird and a great halibut, with two human figures participating in the scene. The inscription "MERLING GARZA" is rendered in multicolored appliqué letters across the upper register — turquoise, blue, pink, and yellow — with several letters appearing in mirror reversal, characteristic of the Guna maker's interpretive transcription of observed text. The composition is dominated by a large thunderbird outlined in red with turquoise and yellow concentric channels, its powerful body curving across the upper left portion of the field. The thunderbird's head features pointed ears or crest feathers, embroidered eyes, and a prominent open beak with a red diamond-shaped mouth. Its body is filled with multicolored U-shaped embroidered motifs and arch-shaped appliqué elements in red, blue, turquoise, pink, and yellow, representing stylized plumage. A large wing with blue-outlined feather veining extends from the body at lower left, rendered with bold internal structure suggesting power and flight. A great halibut fills the right side of the composition, its broad flat body outlined in yellow and pink with rows of crescent-shaped scales in red, blue, pink, and turquoise. The halibut's tail is rendered with dense multicolored horizontal line embroidery in green, blue, white, orange, and pink, capturing the distinctive fan shape of the flatfish. The fish's considerable size relative to the human figures emphasizes its mythological stature. At center, a standing human figure wearing a wide-brimmed hat is rendered in red appliqué with yellow body stripes and embroidered facial features. The figure holds a fishing line rendered in embroidered brown thread that arcs upward, connecting the human world to the supernatural encounter. A second figure at the upper right, also in red appliqué with yellow body stripes, holds a long pink spear or harpoon that extends diagonally across the composition toward the thunderbird, linking the human actors to the mythic drama unfolding around them. The interaction between the thunderbird and the halibut — creatures of sky and sea — represents a cosmological narrative of elemental forces. Such encounters between powerful beings of different realms are central to indigenous American storytelling traditions, and the Guna maker's interpretation transforms this narrative into the visual language of reverse appliqué. The inclusion of human figures as witnesses or participants in the supernatural event grounds the mythological scene in lived experience. Worked on black cotton ground with layers in red, turquoise, yellow, blue, pink, and lavender. Three-layer construction with consistent hand-stitching throughout. Multicolored running stitch embroidery in radiating rows fills the background areas. Crescent-scale appliqué on the halibut and arch-shaped plumage elements on the thunderbird. Dense multicolored vertical dash fill throughout. Single panel on black cotton ground with red backing visible. This piece exemplifies the Guna tradition of narrative textile art, combining mythological, figural, and textual elements in a dynamic storytelling composition that bridges the natural and supernatural worlds. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear and fading consistent with age and use. 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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