Contrary to popular misconceptions, metalwork dates back to very ancient times in the Americas, with copperworking in the Great Lakes Region of North America starting as early as 5,000 BCE. By the first millennium BCE, the Andean cultures of South America had developed metalwork processes, and these practices spread up into the Isthmian region of lower Central America by the … [Read more...] about Ancient Isthmian Metalwork in Reproduction: Researched by Trevor Heitz
Molas and molitas (“little molas”) are elaborate textiles made by the women of the Kuna culture of the San Blas territory, in what is today the country of Panama. The elaborate designs on molas are created primarily using a technique known as reverse appliqué, a painstaking process that involves stitching together several layers of cloth and then cutting designs and outlines … [Read more...] about Molas and Molitas: Researched by Amanda Steimel and Elizabeth Rodwell
Molas are colorful, hand-sewn textiles that are produced by the female artisans of the Kuna culture of the San Blas region of Panama. The earliest molas are said to have developed after the arrival of Spanish missionaries in Central America, when women were encouraged to cover their bare upper torsos. In response, the Kuna women created blouses made of imported cotton cloth … [Read more...] about The Molas of the Kuna Culture: Researched by Tana Redman, Codee Ratliff, and Elizabeth Ferguson
BEFORE CONSERVATION AFTER CONSERVATION Mola is the Native Kuna word for clothing, and it specifically refers to the traditional, elaborately reverse-appliquéd panels sewn onto the front and back of a Kuna woman’s blouse. Molas likely developed from traditional geometric body-painting designs, which derive from mythical scenes such as the Kuna creation … [Read more...] about Two Kuna Molas: Researched and Conserved by Paige Marney