Guna Political Mola Panel Depicting Deputy Candidate Jorge E. Ramirez

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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 × 19 inches A vibrant political mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery depicting a campaign portrait of "Diputado No. 15" — Don Jorge E. Ramirez, identified as "Doctor Fausto." The composition features a commanding central portrait of a smiling man wearing a Western suit and tie, his face densely worked with multicolored running stitch embroidery in concentric rows radiating outward, outlined in yellow and blue concentric bands. The figure's teeth are prominently displayed in a confident grin, and the tie is embellished with pink and blue zigzag rickrack embroidery. Text bands surround the figure, reading "DIPUTA DO NO 15" across the top register and "JORGE E. RAMIREZ / DOCTOR FAUSTO" across the lower register, each letter rendered from memory in multicolored appliqué with individually colored outlines in blue, orange, yellow, pink, green, and white — no two letters identical in their color treatment. A small Panamanian flag in orange, blue, and yellow appears at upper left alongside the number "N 9 E," while a white dove figure rises above. Two smaller portrait faces flank the central figure: an orange-skinned face with dark hair framed in a turquoise zigzag border at lower left, and a white-faced portrait with dark hair and embroidered features at upper right, possibly representing family members or political associates. The background field is activated with dense parallel line work in alternating sections of blue, green, yellow, orange, and pink vertical bars, creating rhythmic striped patterns that fill the space surrounding the portrait. The top border features a decorative band with orange rickrack trim against black, providing formal framing. As characteristic of Guna textile tradition, the letters and numbers are rendered from memory and exhibit variations in form, spacing, and color, reflecting the maker's visual interpretation of observed political campaign materials. This mola exemplifies the tradition of commemorating political candidates and electoral campaigns in textile form, documenting local civic engagement and democratic participation in Guna communities. Worked on vibrant red cotton ground with layers in black, blue, orange, yellow, green, pink, purple, and white. Fine hand-stitching throughout with consistent stitch density. Dense embroidered fill creating texture across the portrait face and background. Complex cutwork in letterforms with individually colored outlines. Strong compositional control with centralized portrait format. Single panel on red cotton ground with bred backing visible. This piece exemplifies the political documentary tradition in Guna mola art, demonstrating the maker's engagement with Panamanian electoral politics and civic identity. 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.
• Shipping Info

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