mid-1900s
Cotton: reverse appliqué
Overall: 35.6 x 46.4 cm (14 x 18 1/4 in.)
The Harold T. Clark Educational Extension Fund 1971.1012
Among the most abstract mola designs are those based on men’s basketry, like this example. The rhythmic, meandering lines produce effects that sometimes make the pattern shift under the viewer’s gaze. These technical marvels require extreme precision, particularly in cutting long, uninterrupted slits in the upper layer (or layers) of cloth. In the blue-and-red example, with its daunting cuts and shimmery optical effects, the red lines unexpectedly remain connected to the border.
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