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Mari Lwyd from Llangynwyd, early 20th century. 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.

The skull of an horse which has been covered in cream stockinet (cotton knit fabric); white cotton sheeting has been stitched to the edges of the face, hanging down from the head to cover the person carrying the Mari Lwyd. The head has been decorated with green glass eyes, ribbons, tinsel, crêpe paper, straw, sequins and bells, which form a complicated arrangement of bridle and reigns. Some of the decorations are just draped, some are stitched in position and others adhered. The skull is mounted on a steel and wood carrying handle coming down from the skull. There is a paper label attached to the steel. The metal is bolted into the sides of the skull. There is a wooden pole, wrapped in fabric, attached to the rear of the skull presumably for those walking under the cloth making up the 'body' of the horse, to hold on to. Reigns are made from rope wrapped in red crêpe paper (rope feels soft=possibly grass fibre?) Part of the bridle is made from plaited strands of red, yellow and green wool twill tapes decorated with tinsel (red, silver, green, orange and purple). A type of green sequin lace (sequins are strung up, laid out in a zigzag pattern and stitch-secured to a substrate of 6 thin plaits of light blue thread) has been used above the mouth. 23 bells have been stitched to a pale pink 1.6cm wide ribbon (ribbed weave: thick wefts, thin warps). This ribbon is hanging behind the ears of the horse's head. The eyes protrude out from the surrounding cloth which is adhered to the glass lip behind the cloth; they are surrounded by rings of red tinsel. Red nostrils have been drawn onto the fabric. There is a metal spike between the ears. Bridle strip across forehead is made from green and red wool twill tape woven or knotted around a rope core; green tinsel has then been wound round this strip. Green ribbon bow on forehead above this strip. One strip of green ribbon adhered down the centre of the face to the nose; on either side of this are two adhered red ribbons with the remains of silver glitter. A 2cm wide stip of cellulosic tabby woven fabric with brown coating has been stitched to white stockinet above teeth. Some teeth were already missing when the skull was covered because no holes have been left in the fabric. Ears may have internal leather substrate to give rigidity. Edges of ears bound with red cotton twill tape, inside of ears covered with red crêpe paper. Pieces of fabric have been stuffed into crevices of the skull, such as the nasal canal. The white sheeting is a herringbone twill; selvages on upper and lower edges; full width of fabric = 171.5cm; vertical edges at front have machine-stitched turn-backs c. 1.5cm wide).