Mola Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive)

Mola is the Cuna Indian word for an intricate reverse-appliqué needlework technique unique to this unusual, isolated tribe inhabiting the San Blas islands off the Atlantic coast of Panama. Mola motifs and methods recall the body-painting practiced by the Cuna in past centuries; today Cuna women's blouses display the colorful patchwork designs rendered here in black and white from the original pieces. The 45 folk-style designs signify themes ancient and modern: pre-Christian crosses, mermaids, dancers, animals, birds, butterflies, fish and flowers, abstracts, and repeating mazes. The introduction includes photographs of the Cuna; captions identify the motifs and give Cuna names. Designers and needleworkers will find these royalty-free designs a source of inspiration, and colorists will enjoy adding their own sense of color and tone to the illustrations.