Mola
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1 Nov 1976
label: Collection Date
content: 1966 to 1971
name: label: Collector
content: Mr. F. L. Hoover
label: Collector
content: Lucille Hoover
label: Donor Name
content: Mr. F L. Hoover
notes: label: Notes
content: FIGURE RIDING BIRD: COMPLETE BLOUSE.
label: Notes
content: The central part of the mola designs on each side consist of a man wearing what appears to be a feather headdress holding a flag and riding a bird. On one side of the blouse the man is holding the flag of Panama. On the other side of the blouse the man is holding the flag of the United States of America. There is a row of right-facing and left-facing swastikas on the top border of each mola.
label: Notes
content: Note: in 1925, the Guna revolted against Panamanian suppression of their culture, and were granted autonomy in 1930; the flag they adopted at that time is based on the swastika shape, and remains the official flag of Guna Yala. The swastika is an ancient symbol in Guna culture. It symbolizes the octopus that created the universe; its four tentacles pointing to the four cardinal points, which gave rise to the rainbow, the sun, the moon and the stars. Also, apparently the Ailigandi community has used a flag that includes two crossed arms as part of the symbolism.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 26 Jul 2025
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Ailigandi Island, San Blas Islands, Panama, Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
culture: label: Culture
content: Kuna (Guna)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 326028
label: USNM Number
content: E420182-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Blouse
physicalDescription: label: Height - Object
content: 48.2 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 67.3 cm