Kuna Mola Textile And Sailboats In The Harbor Oil Painting

Today I bring you a couple of wonderful finds that got me so excited I was nearly jumping up and down with glee. The first is a complex textile, the second a large oil painting. The textile measures 12" x 16.5" and is reverse appliqued in six layers and embroidered all over with tiny chain stitching.
When I first saw it encased behind glass in a very dirty picture frame, I thought it was a bad picture print of some kind. (This may be why it only had a $7.99 price tag?!) On closer inspection I found it to be a very intricate and wonderful textile.

Not being aware of this type of textile art, I at first thought it had to be European. With the aide of my Sis we got to work trying to unravel the mystery of it origins. All those tiny little triangles you see barely measure 1/2" at their largest point, and yet they are 10 stitches to the half inch, with threads thinner than a hair.

 At first we were led astray by the subject matter, for the heraldic motif correctly portrays the death of King Stanislaw Leszczynski of Poland, who was also the Grand Duke of Lithuania, as well as the Duke of Lorraine. The year 1766 is carefully stitched on the textile as well as the words, Lorraine, and above Lorraine, R. Louis. The latter referring to Louis XV of France.

 The eagle here on the left with his crown off is representative of the Polish king who died due to his garments catching fire as he lounged too near the fire in his fireplace in 1766. The black band would normally have three eagles on it but now has only two. Stanislaw had no sons, so his line was cut off, the black symbolizing his death. However, King Louis XV, who had married the king of Poland's daughter, now laid claim to the Duchy of Lorraine and added it to France.

 Thus this textile not only portrays the death of one king, but the gaining of territory by another. This is what led us a merry chase at first, for we thought for certain it had to be a European textile.

 We could have not been more wrong. As it happens, when searching Foogle, it often only puts up two or possibly three lines of what you may be looking for, but as often as not, it will put up also random stuff you haven't asked for at all. It's like feeding a chicken the exact right berry in order to get it to lay an egg! Argh!!!

 As I was putting in the umpteenth guess on what this heraldic textile could be, I happened to see, near the bottom of my scrolling, a funky looking textile, in similar colors, but of a completely different composition.

 Shock and awe! I had stumbled upon the answer! The textile was made by The Kuna People's of Panama, and parts of Columbia. It was not European at all, but Central American! YAY!!! I will give you a Wikipedia link here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mola_(art_form)

 This is a tradition piece of textile, that would comprise part of the bodice of a woman's blouse. Just put Mola or Molas into Foogle images if you want to see more gorgeous pieces like this. Some layers are cut away, and others are added to. To make the details on the wings six separate tiny layers are built up, and the very top line is a chain stitch so tiny it is hard to believe anyone could see to make it.

 As you can see here, if you look closely, there is early sewing machine stitching in blue at the lower left of the picture. This was done by an old treadle sewing machine that stitched 20 stitches to the inch. It is also proof that this was once attached to a blouse, and was not just a piece sold to tourists.

A million little stitches went into the making of this textile. Its main layers are burgundy, black, and turkey red. Other colors are purple, pink, lime green, emerald green, orange, yellow, pale blue, dark blue, and white. After much research, Sis and I determined that this is an older piece that may date to as early as the 1940's, 50's or 60's. The French built part of the Panama Canal in the late 19th Century, but how a Kuna Native came up with this design, we are at a loss to explain?!

Here is a Kuna woman selling Molas. See the beautiful panel on her blouse?! This is how mine would have been worn. I am happy to say, they still make and sell Molas to this day. Tho none I have seen match the skill or design of the one I purchased.

 Here is my lovely 19.5" x 43" antique oil painting. I believe, but could be mistaken, that this is a Dutch, or other European artists painting. I wish I could afford to send it off to my favorite Youtube painting restorer, Julian Baumgartner at Baumgartner Restoration, but alas I have not that kind of money.

The sailboats look very much like Dutch Hoeker's to me, which were coastal and inland canal sailing boats. The red rust and white sails I have also found on old Dutch paintings.

 I am not sure of the houses with red roofs, but the stone walls coming right to the water I have seen.
Sadly I could find no signature on the painting, but to me it lessens it not a tick. Even the age cracks in the paint, and a small pencil sized, (repaired) hole, did not discourage me from loving and buying this painting. I thought $12.99 more than a fair price for such a lovely painting.

 Here you can see what I saw after slicing the old acid paper off the back of the frame. It had another red wire attached with eyelets on the painting frame itself, and a paper framers label in one corner, as well as old time wooden stretcher wedges, otherwise known as keys. Three of which were missing. The newer  frame had these jagged metal pieces holding the painting in, and another bare stranded wire attached that looked like a style they used in the 1970's or 80's.

The label on the frame states: To duplicate the frame send order No. 15380 Frame No. 2  
E. H. Moorhouse & Company Portland, Ore. A quick bit of research and it was found, (by digging in old Oregon newspapers, and other internet sources), that E. H. stood for, "Egbert Herbert" Moorhouse, (sometimes spelled Moorehouse). He had a picture framing business in Portland Oregon, a lumbering business in Lyle, Washington, and at least 160 acres of prime real estate adjoining the Klicktitat river in Washington. His business in Portland began in 1890, and ended in 1911. He resided in Portland, later in Southern Oregon, and by 1924 in Los Angeles, California, where he had set up yet another picture framing business and planing mill. His businesses also included lath and plastering, and an assortment of wallpapers and hanging services.

This one corner still had its wooden keys in place, and what amazed me was that the more modern framer made no attempt to clean the dirt out of the bottom of the painting before papering it over. It was a right sorry mess. Thank goodness he left the paper framing label.

 Here is another painting which was also framed by E. H. Moorehouse of Portland, Ore. This one was framed c.1904. Mine would have had a similar frame as this one, not the skinny modern frame it has now.

Here is an oil painting by Dutch painter, H. M. Gabriel. I looked at it for comparison on the color of the ships sails. This is a lovely painting of a Dutch flower market on the harbor. I wish I knew more about this painting. All that I can truly say is that my painting was framed at one time by E.H. Moorehouse in Portland, Ore, sometime between 1890 - 1911, when he moved to southern Oregon. The painting could be much older?! If anyone knows more about the painter who painted the painting I bought, or where it may have originated, please leave a comment. I simply love it!