Kelpies

This is a handmade piece, made in County Clare, Ireland.  Made from white and black clay and hand-painted.

The Kelpie is a strong and powerful horse according to legend. It had a black hide (though some accounts said it was white) and looked like a lost pony, yet it could be recognized by its perpetually dripping mane. Its skin was described as smooth as a seal’s, but as cold as death when touched. Kelpies were thought to change into attractive women in order to trick men into falling into their traps. They formed illusions to keep themselves hidden, only scouting the surface with their eyes above water. A Kelpie in the Celtic mythology of Scotland was originally a name given to a ‘Water Horse’