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Birds and Fish Mola Panels (Pair)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineBirds and Fish Mola Panels (Pair), 1900s. Republic of Panamá, Gunayala Comarca, Guna people. Cotton; reverse appliqué, appliqué, embroidery; overall: 46.4 x 34.3 cm (18 1/4 x 13 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Cathy Lincoln, 2021.155
