Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The utilitarian baskets are made primarily from chunga palm, but can contain bits of oth-
er plants, vines, bark and leaves. They are usually woven, using various plaiting tech-
niques, from single plant strips of coarse texture and great strength, and are rarely dyed.
These baskets are often used for carrying seeds or harvesting crops.
The decorative baskets are much more refined, usually featuring many different colors
and are created from palm materials of the nahuala bush and chunga palm. The dyes are
100% natural, and are extracted from fruits, leaves, roots and bark. Typical motifs are of
butterflies, frogs, toucans, trees and parrots. The baskets are similar in quality to the
renowned early-20th-century Chemehuevi Indian baskets of California. You can often
buy baskets at any of the markets.
The Kuna of the Comarca de Kuna Yala are reknowned worldwide for their
molas
-
the blouse panels used by women in their traditional dress and sold as crafts.
Molas
sym-
bolize the identity of the Kuna people to outsiders, and their colorful and elaborate
designs often depict sea turtles, birds and fish.
Ocú and Penonomé produce superior panama hats.
Polleras
(elaborate traditional outfits of Spanish origin) are handmade in Guararé and
in other villages in Las Tablas Province. Also available on the Península de Azuero are
handcrafted festival masks from Villa de Los Santos and Parita.
Huacas
are golden objects made on the isthmus centuries before the Spanish conquest.
They were placed with indigenous leaders at the time of burial, intended to accompany
and protect their souls on the voyage to the other world. Most took the form of a warrior,
crocodile, jaguar, frog or condor. You can also purchase exact (solid gold) and near-exact
(gold-plated) reproductions of these palm-sized objects.
Because of their proximity to mineral-rich Colombia and Brazil, the jewelry stores
here often have high-quality gems at excellent prices. Buyers beware: there are many
fake gems on the world market, as well as many flawed gems that have been altered to
appear more valuable than they really are.
HOW TO BUY A MOLA
Molasare as ubiquitous as soccer shirts in Panama. A traditional Kuna handicraft,
amolais made of brightly colored squares of cotton fabric laid atop one another.
Cuts are made through the layers, forming basic designs. The layers are then sewn
together with tiny, evenly spaced stitches to hold the design in place.
Molameans 'blouse' in Kuna, and Kuna women makemolasin thematically
matching but never identical pairs. A pair will comprise the front and back of a
blouse. The most traditional colors are black, maroon and orange, while the most
