Mola Artwork Used for Handmade Purses and Other Clothing
The mola is a piece of artwork crafted by the Kunas. The Kunas are a group of indigenous Indians living in Panama. The molas originated from a custom of painting geometric patterns on their bodies. After some time the women started sewing these designs on cloth panels. The molas were eventually sewn on dresses and blouses. The molas contain geometric patterns or images of animals. They are always very colorful. The technique used to sew these beautiful patterns is called “reverse applique technique.” To accomplish this technique the women use several layers of fabric of different colors. They cut away whatever layers necessary to reveal whatever color desired. The extra material is cut away and the layers are sewed together. As the complexity of the design increases the amount of work involved increases dramatically.
The Kuna women begin making these molas when they reach the age of puberty. They become very skilled at this technique after years of sewing these pieces of artwork. Two to seven layers of cloth are used to make each mola. The value of a mola increases with the increasing amount of layers of cloth. The complexity of the design and the invisibility of the stitching also influences the value of the mola.