One expert has calculated that the best molas require 250 hours of sewing. Two to five layers of cloth are placed on top of one another and then holes, slits and shapes are cut in these layers to reveal the colors underneath. This negative process can be enhanced by the final addition of embroidery for fine details. The Kuna Indians of Panama are one of the last tribal societies to retain their cultural independence, their social customs, their supernatural beliefs, and, above all, their artistic traditions. The most important item of female clothing is to be found on the blouse. On the chest (and also on the back) there is a rectangular decorative panel called a mola. The technique employed to make these panels is reverse appliqué and they take several weeks of intensive work to complete. One expert has calculated that the best molas require 250 hours of sewing. Two to five layers of cloth are placed on top of one another and then holes, slits and shapes are cut in these layers to reveal the colors underneath. This negative process can be enhanced by the final addition of embroidery for fine details. (No frame included)