The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 15, 2026

A cotton textile square features two stylized birds facing each other against a black background. Bold red outlines define their bodies, accented by large white eyes. The left bird has a scrolled crest, while the right displays a serrated comb. Intricate cutouts reveal layered geometric stripes of yellow, green, and blue across their chests and wings. Stylized scrolls and geometric motifs fill the gaps around and between the two figures.

Rooster and Hen Mola Panel

c. 1950–70

Republic of Panamá, Gunayala Comarca, Guna people, Gardi Muladub community

cotton: reverse appliqué, appliqué, embroidery
Overall: 37.6 x 46.5 cm (14 13/16 x 18 5/16 in.)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. F. Louis Hoover 1971.207
Location: Not on view

Description

Made in pairs—identical or closely related—mola panels naturally play on the concept of duality. The idea of the double runs deep in Guna belief, and this framework also guides the designs of individual panels. Motifs are often doubled, like here, presented as mirror images, or composed so that one side of the design mimics the other, with strong emphasis on balancing the right and left sides of the composition.
  • Fashioning Identity: Mola Textiles of Panamá. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 22, 2020-January 9, 2022).
    Year in Review: 1971. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 28, 1971-February 6, 1972).
  • {{cite web|title=Rooster and Hen Mola Panel|url=false|author=|year=c. 1950–70|access-date=15 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1971.207