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Kuna

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  • A Kuna woman receives the traditional beauty mark, one long delicate line that extends down the entire bridge of the nose. It draws attention to a lobe of gold that they hang from the septum of the nostrils. As their status and wealth increase, so does the size of the gold nose ring.
  • In addition to the mola blouses, Kuna women wear leg wrappings made of colorful beads arranged in geometric patterns. All girls are initiated into adulthood with a puberty ceremony and from that day are required to wear the traditional clothing. The tight leg wrappings restrict muscle development in many women leaving them with disproportionately lean calves.
  • In addition to the mola blouses, Kuna women wear leg wrappings made of colorful beads arranged in geometric patterns. All girls are initiated into adulthood with a puberty ceremony and from that day are required to wear the traditional clothing. The tight leg wrappings restrict muscle development in many women leaving them with disproportionately lean calves.
  • The mola textiles are time-consuming, but the older Kuna women are expert seamstresses. They produce pieces that sell for prices up to $100 per panel in the art galleries of Panama city and around the world.
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride...The Kuna are known for their fierce pride and serious composure but they have a warm sense of humor in relaxed situations. This young woman is amused at the attention she receives from visitors. Perhaps she smiles because she knows she is about to be paid. The Kuna know the value of their faces as subjects for photos and expect compensation for each shot.
  • The matriarch of the family surveys the activity around her house. Kuna society is a matrilineal society in which the women choose their mates. Their power is reinforced by the fact that they earn the majority of the family income through sales of mola blouses. Their magnificent traditional dress--as opposed to the drab second-hand western clothing of the men--is a statement of their status..This Kuna grandmother tries to shield her eyes from the angular light of the late afternoon. She smokes her pipe as she sews. She has been hurrying to complete a few mola panels and is reluctant to interrupt her work. She hopes to sell her textiles to tourists who will be arriving on a steamship at a neighboring island in two days. .
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride.
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride. Here a group of women attend a ceremony celebrating the anniversary of the Kuna revolution on Tigre island.
  • In addition to their molas, Kuna women wear ornate gold necklaces and earrings. For older women, the typical sign of wealth is a large gold nose clip. .Teofrida Archibol is a renowned mola artist and splits her time between the capitol city and her island homeland.
  • In addition to their molas, Kuna women wear ornate gold necklaces and earrings. For older women, the typical sign of wealth is a large gold nose clip. .Teofrida Archibol is a renowned mola artist and splits her time between the capitol city and her island homeland.
  • In addition to their molas, Kuna women wear ornate gold necklaces and earrings. For older women, the typical sign of wealth is a large gold nose clip. .Teofrida Archibol is a renowned mola artist and splits her time between the capitol city and her island homeland. .
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride.
  • The matriarch of the family surveys the activity around her house. Kuna society is a matrilineal society in which the women choose their mates. Their power is reinforced by the fact that they earn the majority of the family income through sales of mola blouses. Their magnificent traditional dress--as opposed to the drab second-hand western clothing of the men--is a statement of their status.
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride.
  • Kuna women wear the mola blouse, crimson scarf and arm and leg bead wrappings as daily dress. The clothing of the women is the most cherished aspect of Kuna identity and source of cultural pride.
  • Kuna Yala ?the land of the Kunas? also known as the San Blas Archipelago, comprised 100s of small uninhabited tropical islands. Kuna people have set their villages on the some of the smallest islands, using the other ones to grow coconuts. Kuna villages are so densely populated that there is no place to grow anything, and not enough fresh water to provide for the inhabitant. Kuna people must sail the mainland daily to cultivate their crops and bring home fresh water.