Description

Guna standards of beauty are
inseparable from technique—the best
molas are challenging to execute and
filled with laborious embellishments
that enhance a mola’s splendor and
bring prestige to its maker. Each filler,
or decorative element, has a specific,
doubled-syllable name. Das-das are
short, parallel slits; idi-idi and ada-ada
refer to lines edged with squared and
triangular teeth, respectively; and
wawa-naled are tiny triangles created

by adding fabric (so-called pips) or
cutting it away (nips).