Bidspirit auction | Guna Mola Panel Holy Family

Guna Mola Panel Holy Family Nativity Narrative - Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s 13 x 15.5 inches Richly worked nativity scene mola panel on a dense black ground, presented within a red-and-yellow bordered interior field. A large Madonna figure occupies the left, rendered with an elaborate double-scroll headdress, black hair, embroidered facial features, and a blue necklace accent, her body densely worked in multicolor horizontal stripe embroidery. At center a small Christ child figure with black hair and embroidered face is depicted on a white-striped cradle. A bearded Joseph figure at upper right, wearing a distinctive blue-outlined rounded headdress with embroidered face and beard detail. A four-pointed red and green star medallion with embroidered multicolor center occupies the upper center background. Two animals flank the lower register — a lamb in orange at lower left with multicolor embroidered stripe body, and a reclining pig outlined in green at lower right. The ground throughout is densely worked in multicolor horizontal and vertical reverse-appliqué channels. Executed in three layers of black, red, and yellow cotton, with appliquéd figures and extensive multicolor embroidered surface detail. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection.