Molas

 However, among non-Kuna it has come to mean the elaborate fabric art that Kuna women traditionally use to decorate their blouses. These blouses are not just worn on special occasions or for traditional ceremonies. Nearly everywhere in Kuna Yala, as well as elsewhere in Panama, molas are part of the everyday costume of the Kuna women. In addition to the molas, the women wear beaded "sleeves" (they are too big to be considered just wristbands) on their forearms and lower legs. These beads, like the molas, form elaborate geometric designs. To complete the Kuna dress, a piece of fabric forms a skirt and a scarf is worn on the head. Often a reasonable amount of gold jewelry is worn as well, including a nose ring. Traditionally a dark line is drawn down the center of the nose and a fairly bright orange "rouge" is applied to the cheeks. Girls have their children's locks cut in a ceremony when they reach puberty, and henceforth Kuna women keep their hair reasonably short. There is no mistaking a Kuna women in traditional costume for anyone else, and this outfit is worn with great pride.

For the sake of simplicity, I will use the term "mola" henceforth to refer to the fabric art part of the blouse, and "blouse" to refer to the whole garment. Of course, this is technically incorrect, but is in keeping with how the word is used by most people in English, including the Kuna women when they are selling their artwork.

The origins of mola design are reproductions of traditional geometric body paint made from plants and minerals used by the Kuna in times when they wore less clothing. When incorporated into a blouse, two molas of similar and complimentary design are used, front and back.

Molas are made using what is called "reverse appliqué" technique. The mola is constructed of several layers of differently colored cloth, with the top layer cut out in patterns to reveal the layer underneath. The second layer, in turn, is also cut out  in the same pattern, but narrower, so the third layer shows.  Molas can have as few as two layers or as many as five, although three layers is most commonly seen.

In addition to this, Kuna women also make other fabric art using appliqué techniques: the figure is cut out of cloth and sewn onto the base fabric, sometimes building up a number of layers. Compared to the traditional molas, these frequently use much more variety of colors, are much more often asymmetrical and  realistic in their depictions. Kuna also use both appliqué and reverse appliqué techniques on various other items, such as decorations on factory made tee shirts, oven mitts, purses, and ball caps.  In Ustupu I saw some beautiful vestments that the wife of a local pastor made for her husband using this technique.  The photo to the right is a childrens mask made using applique methods.

Normally, molas are made by women; however, there has been a tradition of transgender males (called "omegit" in Kuna) who also make molas, and are frequently considered some of the best at the artform. Sometimes this role was given to the youngest son in a family without daughters, so the mother would have someone to help them with chores and keep them company. I think this role was also sometimes chosen by boys rather than assigned by the parents. In the Western San Blas there are two men who are generally refered to as "master mola makers" and are usually spoken of as representing the finest of the artform: Venancio Restrepo, and Lisa Harris. Both sign some of their finer molas in embroidery, the only ones I am aware of who do so. I will say that I have seen other molas whose workmanship is as good as anything Lisa or Venancio do. But, it is not just the workmanship that earns these two praise, but their designs, which are more complex and more original than what is generally seen.

Lisa identifies totally as a woman, dresses as a woman, and prefers her chosen name instead of her given name. To learn more about her  read this article by Bernadette Bernon of the sailing vessel Ithaka:
http://www.boatus.com/cruising/ithaka/200707-01.asp

Venancio does not dress as woman or use a woman's name, at least that I have seen. But  I would describe his manner as rather effeminate in addition to being rather shy and reserved, and he does perform a traditional woman's role by making molas. I have heard him referred to as omegit by others in his village. I also know, from having helped him repair the launch he uses to visit the more remote anchorages favored by cruisers that he is not as delicate as he appears to be. Mostly, I think, Venancio sees himself as an artist, and enjoys making beautiful molas unlike anyone else's. I think he likes the attention and praise his molas earn him. He only seems comfortable when he is talking about his art.

This is a little beyond the subject of molas, but hey, it is my website, I can write what I want! In sailing the length of the San Blas Islands, I have observed a number of other omegit. I have read a number of references that imply that they are the gay people of the Kuna. While there can be little doubt that, in the modern Western world they would be considered gay (although transgendered is probably more accurate for most), it is somewhat misleading to try to apply our cultural labels too precisely to Kuna culture. I know that male/male sexuality is very common among the Kuna, at least before marriage, and possibly after as well and there seems to be no stigma attached to this. I have met people who, I am pretty sure, would be considered "gay" in our culture, but are not omegit. While in the San Blas I had a charter by a gay couple I know. I hired a young Kuna man to crew for me on this charter, but before agreeing to take him, I explained to him exactly the nature of my guests relationship, and told my guests that they should not feel any need to change or restrict their behavior because of the crew's presence. Out of curiosity, near the end of the charter, I asked my crew what he thought of the guests, and particularly if they were omegit or gay. Neither of the guests act effeminate, but neither do they hide their relationship. The crew responded that no, the are not gay or omegit, just two guys, even though he was aware of the nature of their relationship. In a nutshell, to the Kuna, it does not matter what you do in bed. Sexual identity is based solely on public behavior and the gender normally associated with the role one fulfills in life.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled mola discussion:

Each of the images of molas below can be clicked to open a larger perspective in a seperate window.

The simpliest molas are two layers with basic geometric patterns. The bottom layer is a solid piece of cloth, while the top layer is cut out in the geometric pattern desired and hemmed and sewn onto the bottom layer. I do not have any examples of these, but they are still made and sold in Kuna Yala (the Kuna territory, basically equivalent of a US Indian reservation).

The next step up in complexity of molas would have three layers but still in a simple geometric pattern. While occasionally other colors are used, traditionally the layers would be black, burgandy, and orange, but the order is left to the artists discretion. Usually, any mola whose design incorporates only geometric patterns is called a "traditional"  or "antigua" mola. These designs are still very common on women's blouses as well as for sale.

This first mola, from Rio Sidra, is very traditional. While simple in technique, it is, in my opinion, very elegant and of very good workmanship. Note the use of the traditional colors for the three layers exclusively and the lack of embroidery. While basically very balanced, it does not attempt to be perfectly symmetrical, although I personally think it would be nicer if was. The thickness of the visible layers is very consistent and the geometrical pattern is rather complex. The stitching is not as tight as on some molas. This is visible on close examination or from the back. Wide stitches increase the amount of "pucker" of the fabric, making the stitches stand out more.

From this starting point, mola design and construction made a number of changes, any combination of which might be observed in a particular mola. One change is, when the pattern creates "islands" of material in one of the upper layers, to substitute a different color for the original material This mola shows that: the original 3 layers are maroon, green, and navy, but inside the pattern,  pink is substituted for the green.   While the color scheme of this mola is certainly bold, the workmanship is not as fine as some of the others. Note the lack of consistency in thicknesses of the layers and the lack of precise symmetry in what is designed as a symmetrical mola. A certain amount of imprecision is, IMO, just the mark of hand workmanship. Too much, though, detracts from the visual impact.

As the patterns get even more complicated, sometimes these "islands" of appliqué begin to utilize varying bright colors, adding lots of pizzazz to to the Mola. The example shows many colors used in small pieces, but note the three main layers are the traditional burgundy, orange, and black. This mola also has a few simple lines of embroidery, another innovation in modern molas. The workmanship of this mola is excellent, as seen in the precise symmetry, smooth curves,  and consistent widths of each line made by an exposed layer. While traditional molas are usually symmetrical in design, they often use the splashes of color randomly, such as this one.

 This mola, although similar in technique, does not have as complex or as nice a design as the above one. I am guessing the shapes are leaves, so it depicts a plant or vine. Again, it is symmetrical in design but not in where the colors are used. The symmetry is not as nicely achieved, though: note the variations of the shapes in the corners. Also, the lines formed by the various layers are not smooth and precise.

Bold use of color and simple, repeated shapes characterize this mola. It is hardly the best workmanship, but was made by the mother of the young man who crewed for me on my charter, so I felt obligated to buy something from her. It was one of a pair sewn into a blouse, so was probably made for her or a family members use. I do not think she normally makes molas for sale, but figured I was kind-hearted enough (read "sucker") to not refuse the mother of 4 of my friends (she has 10 children, four of whom were regulars aboard Fellow Traveler for cards and company). This mola is slightly smaller than the average-sized one.

This traditional mola by Lisa shows strong use of colors. The repeating triangles, a symbol frequently seen in molas, represents the mountains in Kuna Yala according to Lisa. Note that while the basic mola is simple, incorporating only two main layers (orange and black) the workmanship is excellent as shown by the thin, precise widths of each visible layer and the straight, even, consistent shapes. Lisa is from Rio Sidra, and like the other molas I have seen from there, the stitching is not as close and precise as on the better molas from Mormake Tupu (admittedly. a minor point).

Over time, molas began incorporating animal shapes in their patterns. Presumably, they initially were fairly symbolic in design. This mola is a traditional one....but close examination shows the pattern has an animal shape (although two-headed, to maintain symmetry). The animal symbol is enhanced with embroidered eyes on each head. I have seen the same design, but with a tail in place of the second head, used in other molas. It is a good example of a more abstract animal design. I asked the maker what they animal was, but did not know the Spanish word she gave.... So, I have decided they are lizards.

Animals I have seen depicted in molas include dogs, rabbits, monkeys, butterflies, cats, dolphin, scorpions, lobsters, and crabs. But, most common would be birds, often rather realistically but sometimes more abstractly. Typically the animals are depicted in pairs to maintain the symmetry.  I show examples of molas with two parrots and with two fish. The mola with the parrots is a nicely made one from Rio Sidra. Like the other one from this village, the stitching is not particularly tight, but that is about the only aspect I could comment negatively on.

This is mostly speculation, but I think the design using two parrots beak to beak, which is how they are often depicted, is somewhat of a love symbol. Parrots, I have been told, mate for life, and are often seen flying as pairs. The fish mola below is positioned like the parrots often are. The intimacy implied by this "kiss" seems significant.  Other birds (and usually, fish) are often show facing opposite directions, or without the "beak to beak" pose.

This particular mola is rather small, and the quality of workmanship is not the best. But, do you buy a painting because of the brush technique the artist uses, or because you "like" the painting? I liked the light, whimsical aspects of this design, it was inexpensive ($5) and looks good in a small space that was blank aboard Fellow Traveler. Note the significantly greater amount of embroidery to embellish the fish. This mola has two main layers, black and orange, that form a frame or matte for the majority of the design, which is appliqued on.

In addition to animals, there are molas that depict either daily events in Kuna life, or, in the case of this example, Kuna mythology. This mola depicts a lunar eclipse, during which, depending on which version of the myth one tells, the moon is stolen by a rabbit or a dog. This mola depicts a dog. While this basic design is fairly common, there are some unique aspects of this particular mola. It is the only "eclipse" mola I have seen that depict faces on the moon. If I understood the mola maker (a young woman who was staying at Chichime Cays), they depict the faces the Kuna see in the moon (in effect, like our "man in the moon"). The plants depicted on the mola are nicely done, IMO. Also, note the brightly colored small triangles that dot the mola: this is a design element that is frequently seen. Following tradition, this mola uses burgandy, orange and black as the three main layers. The yellow is also a common color.

This Mola, by Lisa, is a scene out of Kuna daily life. Well, maybe monthly would be more accurate. It depicts a chicha pot with chicha fermenting inside of it. The green is the fermentation. The creatures on either side at the top are monkeys, waiting to drink the chicha (I admit, drinking chicha made a monkey out of me!) Note the fabric layers cut with pinking shears, no doubt an innovation that began soon after the first Kuna traded some coconuts for a pair of pinking shears. This is a technique that is fairly common (note its use on the "Lizard" mola above), and while it is no doubt dificult to sew all the little zigzag edges, I must admit it is not a style I like. I prefer the smooth, flowing, clean lines such as in the first mola above. Again, note the colorful triangles.

This is an elaborate mola by Venancio with very nicely depicted parrots. In fact, it is so elaborate that it can look overly busy if viewed from too far away, and in the thumbnail here. It would look nice on a wall of a small room, though, where it is viewed up close and the intricacies of his work becomes more apparent (clicking on the image to enlarge it shows the diference). Note that this mola actually has four base layers, with beige added to the traditional burgandy/orange/black. I can not help but think how this mola might look with more of a pale blue as the fourth layer. Note how cleanly and nicely each parrot is depicted and the extensive embroidery work, a common trait of Venancio's nicest molas. Even the small triangles are nearly perfect in how they are cut, stitched, arranged, and framed by the surrounding layer.

This mola, by Venancio, combines geometric and animal designs in a rather complex mola. Despite the detailed geometric shapes, where any imperfections would glare out, the consistency of the thickness of the lines is very impressive. Again, typical of Venancio's molas, there is fairly extensive embroidery on the fish themselves. It is a bit smaller than the typical mola. Again, I liked the somewhat humorous fish depicted and the bright colors.

Another mola by Venancio, this one a still life depicting fruit in a somewhat abstract or primitive style. The pineapple on the lower left is easily recognized, as are the bananas. There is no attempt at symmetry, but there rather a more modern approach to composition. It is a good example of one of the ways Venancio is taking mola design   in new directions.  Molas, like most art, is very much a personal taste decision. Sometimes I like Venancio's more creative forays into the unknown. Sometimes I like the simple, traditional designs.

This mola, while clearly inspired by the geometric traditional molas, is thoroughly modern and original in its techniques. It does not attempt symmetry, and I am a little puzzled as to whether the lack of parallel lines was intended or not. It is has almost a graffiti look to it. It is by Venancio

This mola was a gift from Venancio to me for helping him repair the boat he uses to reach the anchorages cruisers normally frequent. By taking his molas to the buyer, he no doubt sells significantly more than if he just waited in Mormake Tupu for people to stop by. As for the mola, it looks like it should be illustrating a childrens tale, I think, what with the duck and other  birds on the anchored boat, the fish in the water (and on the fishing pole!) and even a turtle! This might end up as a present to the first of my nephews to have children as it would look nice in a young kid's room. If any authors of children's books likes my idea of illustrating a book completely with custom Venancio Molas, please email me and I can provide contact information for him.

This mola, by Venancio, shows just how different his molas can be, depicting a fish in his environment. The image, while simplified, is not particularly abstract. The workmanship is the best I have seen, as evidenced by the extremely narrow yet precise and consistent lines drawn by each layer of fabric and the tiny, close stitches holding it all together. While I do generally prefer the traditional designs, I found this one striking and it is prominently displayed on the bulkhead in the saloon of Fellow Traveler as appropriate for fine art.