Artwork Details
18-5/8 in. (neck to hem)
Accession NumberThe Paul and Irene Hollister Collection of Guna (formerly Kuna or Cuna) molas
CopyrightKuna Indians, San Blas Islands, Panama; purchased in 1960-1970 by Paul and Irene Hollister, Hanover, New Hampshire; given to the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2008.
The term mola refers to the type of shirt worn by Kuna women. Mola is also the word for the decorative panel that adorns either the front or back of a shirt. The complex designs of these panels reflect their origin in Kuna body painting practices. After the Spanish colonization and subsequent interactions with missionaries, the Kuna people began to adapt their traditional body painting designs for use on clothing.
Early blouses were loose fitting with short cap sleeves, while contemporary styles are snug fitting with puffed sleeves.
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
MOLA: Kuna Needle Arts from the San Blas Islands, Panama
Indianapolis Museum of Art
October 12, 2012 - July 14, 2013
Textiles of the Cuna Indians
Saint Louis Art Museum
August 28, 1990 - February 10, 1991
Content Disclaimer and Usage Rights
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.