Bidspirit auction | Guna Mola Panel Bull Head

Guna Mola Panel Bull Head with Inscribed ”Cuernos” (Horns) - Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s 15 × 19 inches Exceptionally worked mola panel in reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery, depicting a monumental frontal bull head with dramatically sweeping curvilinear horns, the body densely filled with horizontal rainbow-colored dash embroidery in blue, orange, white, teal, yellow, purple, and pink. The upper register carries the inscribed word ”CUERNOS” — Spanish for ”horns” — in multicolor reverse appliqué letters within a yellow-outlined cartouche, a distinctive example of text incorporation into the mola tradition reflecting mid-twentieth century cultural exchange. The eyes are rendered with concentric embroidered surrounds; the muzzle features a detailed embroidered nose form. Two diminutive subsidiary bull heads — one in teal, one in charcoal — appear in the lower register flanking the central figure, each with an embroidered Y-form marking the skull. Scroll motifs anchor the upper corners. The field is saturated with horizontal multicolor dash fills throughout. Worked in three layers of red, black, and gold cotton. Fine hand-stitching throughout. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection