Birds and Fish Mola Panels (Pair)
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
Cotton; reverse appliqué, appliqué, embroidery
Dimensions
46.4 × 34.3 cm
Classification
Garment
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Cathy Lincoln
Accession Number
2021.155
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
These two, nearly identical panels were created by a female artist of the Guna, an Indigenous people of the Republic of Panamá. Originally, they were stitched into the front or back of a blouse (mola). Such blouses are so distinctive to the Guna that they are the single most recognizable element of Guna cultural identity.