Bidspirit auction | Pair of Guna Mola Panels

Pair of Guna Mola Panels Depicting Soulbird at Journey's End - Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1960s 15.5 x 18 inches Each worked in three layers of reverse appliqué with appliqué and embroidery accents on a black ground. Complex narrative composition depicting a large central bird with polychrome striped wings spread wide representing the Soulbird of Guna legend. A seated human figure in pink holds a flowering staff beneath the bird. The scene is framed by an elaborate arch with a decorative frieze of pendant bells with embroidered details across the upper register. Flanking panels contain a rich vocabulary of embroidered motifs including faces, butterflies, flowers, geometric spirals, cross-hatch patterns, and small birds. Smaller human and animal figures populate the lower corners — a seated figure with an animal at left and a standing figure at right, each wearing white garments with maze-pattern embroidery. Additional crosses, bottle forms, star motifs, and mask-like faces fill the surrounding ground. Dense, fully filled composition with extensive embroidery accents and consistent hand-stitching throughout. Black and white zigzag trim borders the upper edge. A matched pair presenting a compelling and rare rendering of Guna spiritual narrative, as molas infrequently depict the afterlife. A similar photo of these molas can be found on page 85 of MOLAS Folk Art of the Cuna Indians by Parker and Neal. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection.