Day 639
Mola
Today we visited the small but perfectly designed Mola museum. Mola, meaning ‘shirt’, is an art form created by the women of the Kuna indigenous people who mainly live in the San Blas islands off the coast of Panama. Originally the women’s traditional dress was to wear a long skirt but leave their breasts uncovered. They would then paint an intricate, usually asymmetrical design on themselves. When the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, they brought cloth with them, as well as some joyless missionaries who encouraged the women to cover up! So, the women took their designs and created the Mola. At first, they painted the cloth but by the 19th century they were stitching together 2 or more layers of cotton cloth. Designs are then created by cutting and peeling back layers. The women can spend up to 100 hours creating their individually designed piece.
The museum showcased many examples of this artwork. It took us through the stages of how a piece is created, stage by stage. We saw examples and a vast array of different designs. There was also the most amazing interactive display, where the use of mirrors and lighting enabled us to ‘step inside’ a piece of the artwork.
From walking in the door, being welcomed by the friendly and knowledgeable staff, to the moment we left, everything was just perfect. Now if only all museums were like this!
