Detail of a mola from Kuna Yala
Wander the markets and street stalls of Panama City and you’ll soon get a taste of the country’s rich and varied arts and crafts, with baskets and masks, textiles and jewellery from many of Panama’s indigenous peoples on sale. Most striking of all are the geometric mola cloth panels made by the women of Kuna Yala. Comprising layers of brightly coloured cloth, with shapes cut out and overturned edges painstakingly stitched, they are perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the Kuna, whose homeland stretches along Panama’s eastern Caribbean coast.
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