Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami

Mola

Artist/Maker Guna people (Guna Yala, Panama)

Dateca. 1950s

Mediumdyed cotton and thread

DimensionsOverall: 13 1/4 × 15 3/4 in. (33.7 × 40 cm)

ClassificationsCostumes and Accessories

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Tatham

Terms

Object number94.0015.24

DescriptionThe figure of a bird on top of what appears to be a human head dominates this mola. It is possible that the bird may be an egret, which has the ability to bend its long neck. Egrets and hundreds of other water birds are native to the Guna Yala region of Panamá. Multi-colored vertical lines were used to depict the bird’s wings, creating the idea of feathers; similar vertical lines fill the background as well. Although the meaning of the human head is unknown, it may have been placed to show the importance of birds to the Guna, who believe that men and animals are constantly reunited through complex paths over their lifetimes.

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