Friday favorites

Earlier this month, Russian artist, Jeanne Saar posted this picture on her Saar Studios Facebook page with the caption: New folk project! One bright tradition of the old British Isles. Guess who it will be?

The answer, of course, was Mari Lwyd. 

The Mari Lwyd is a wassailing folk custom found in South Wales. The tradition entails the use of an eponymous hobby horse which is made from a horse skull mounted on a pole and carried by an individual hidden under a sackcloth. 

Jeanne printed five traditional scale horse skulls. Three were painted in a realistic bone color.

The other two were decorative. The black was covered with deep gray Pearl-Ex. The other was painted with real copper and oxidized. 

Like their real life counterparts, Jeanne's Mari Lwyds have leather ears. 

She cut them out, 

shaped them...

and added them to each skull.

Note the tiny rivets. No details were spared!

Each skull was mounted on a bamboo stick approximately twenty five centimeters long.

Then it was time to add flowers and ribbons! 

Mari Lwyd is a Christmas tradition, but Jeanne chose to do things her own way.

Each Mari has her own unique image: an elegant veil with satin ribbons,

jewelry made of beads and rhinestones...

and paper flowers.

As Jeanne says: A pinch of folk May...

and a drop of Mexican Muerto.

Here are individual photos of the finished Mari Lwyd herd. The is Mari Lwyd #1.

Mari Lwyd #2.

Mari Lwyd #3

Mari Lwyd #4

Mari Lwyd #5

The first four Mari Lwyds are for available for sale. Please check Jeanne's Facebook page for more details. Jeanne is keeping Mari Lwyd #5 - my favorite! - for her own collection.