The Mola Errata List is not a shame document. It is a preservation tool. It teaches us that a perfect mola—no skipped stitches, no dye bleed, no cultural misstep—is statistically impossible unless it is a printed copy. Every authentic mola carries at least one entry from this list.
By learning the Errata List, you stop being a tourist and become a curator. You learn to distinguish a Master’s intentional variation from a beginner’s fatal flaw. So the next time you examine a mola’s reverse and see a messy knot, smile. Check your list. That’s likely Entry #M-99: “Human Hand Present – No Errata Required.”
Do you have a mola that you suspect contains an errata? Join the Mola Collectors Forum to submit your photographs for community review. Mola Errata List
As of 2025, AI appraisal tools for textiles are emerging, but they fail to understand the Mola Errata List. Machine vision can spot a broken zigzag (M-04) but cannot grasp why a manta ray mistaken for a shark (C-09) is valuable to some collectors and worthless to others.
Furthermore, a new errata has been proposed for 2026: Entry #D-01 – Digital Thread. With the rise of AI-generated mola patterns, any mola that perfectly matches a known, downloadable vector design with zero error is now considered a "fake errata." In a strange twist, the complete absence of human error on the Errata List now signifies a machine-made forgery. The Mola Errata List is not a shame document
As of 2025, the Mola Errata List has evolved. It is no longer just a static list of "don’ts." A group of 3D modelers at the University of Zurich are turning it into an open-source digital sculpting guide. Meanwhile, a children’s book publisher was recently forced to recall a title because their sunfish illustration violated Erratum #1 and #3.
The list has also expanded to cover the other sunfish species (Mola alexandrini and Mola tecta, the Hoodwinker Sunfish). Each has its own errata profile. Every authentic mola carries at least one entry
The Common Error: Giving the sunfish a distinct brow ridge or a deeply set, angry eye. Why It Happens: Artists confuse the lateral line canals (sensory pits) on the sunfish’s face for muscular ridges. The Correction: The sunfish’s eye is large and sits relatively flush with the contour of the head. The bumps on its face are sensory, not skeletal. Unless you are illustrating a diagram of the lateral line system, omit the brow.