Acuatupo, San Blas Archipelago, Panama
We started our day, after a rough night at sea, with a visit to Acuatupo Island. This is one of the 50 or so islands of a total of 365 islands that constitute the Archipelago, which are inhabited by the Kuna Indians. The Kunas have resided in the Panama/Colombia area for centuries, but did not migrate to these islands until the mid-19th Century. They lead a tribal life guided by strong traditions despite their increasing exposure to the outside world.
Their income is derived from fishing, farming coconuts for exportation, and the sale of their molas to the tourists. The word mola can mean “cloth”, “clothing”, or “blouse”, but it has come to signify, to almost everyone, a stitched cloth panel traditionally made for the backs and fronts of women’s blouses.
Traditional molas are made with various appliqué techniques, which may include overlay appliqué, reverse appliqué, and inlay appliqué. They may be embellished with various embroidery stitches. Most of them are made of two or three main layers of fabric.
Almost all Kuna women can make molas. They begin to learn as girls, and by the time they get married, most of them are accomplished stitchers. One mola may take up to 100 hours to complete and is a source of great pride to its maker.
We started our day, after a rough night at sea, with a visit to Acuatupo Island. This is one of the 50 or so islands of a total of 365 islands that constitute the Archipelago, which are inhabited by the Kuna Indians. The Kunas have resided in the Panama/Colombia area for centuries, but did not migrate to these islands until the mid-19th Century. They lead a tribal life guided by strong traditions despite their increasing exposure to the outside world.
Their income is derived from fishing, farming coconuts for exportation, and the sale of their molas to the tourists. The word mola can mean “cloth”, “clothing”, or “blouse”, but it has come to signify, to almost everyone, a stitched cloth panel traditionally made for the backs and fronts of women’s blouses.
Traditional molas are made with various appliqué techniques, which may include overlay appliqué, reverse appliqué, and inlay appliqué. They may be embellished with various embroidery stitches. Most of them are made of two or three main layers of fabric.
Almost all Kuna women can make molas. They begin to learn as girls, and by the time they get married, most of them are accomplished stitchers. One mola may take up to 100 hours to complete and is a source of great pride to its maker.
