Collections Online

Over the Christmas period, a horse’s skull such as this would be carried from house to house in parts of south Wales. To gain entry they sang verses. (Text from Oriel 1 exhibition at St Fagans National Museum of History)

Horse's skull in two parts (upper and lower/jaw) with large black glass eyes and leather ears. Both parts are wrapped in plain cotton fabric which has been festooned with a myriad of different types and colours of ribbon, leaving very little of the cotton fabric visible. The eyes are surrounded by leather and the eye holes are finished with a binding of red wool twill tape. The upper front is wrapped in red velvet fabric with teeth protruding from the front (only two teeth remain). The jaw bones are reinforced with a wooden brace (on the inside - missing from the proper right side) which is held in place with a metal bar and two bolts (applied from the outside) A wooden pole is inserted into the upper part of the skull: this serves as a handle to carry the Mari Lwyd. The lower part of the skull (jaw) moves freely. In addition to the wooden pole there is also a twisted metal rod which extends out towards the back of the skull. The rod is attached inside the upper part of the skull, towards the front.