Casgliadau Arlein

whip used by donor whilst hunting with the South Wales Basset Hounds

handle made of antler, which has carvings in the shape of a cross both on upper and lower surface (11 crosses on top, and 10 below). The handle is secured to rigid part of whip with a 3.4cm wide ring of silver (ferrule) which has an engraved inscription. The rigid part of the whip consists of a hard core, wrapped in brown synthetic (?) thread which is braided round the rigid stick (3 threads used as one). This is followed by a flexible, 15.5cm long strip of leather (2 strips stitched together back to back). These are joined onto the rigid part with a tight wrapping of cotton thread (over 7.3cm) which has a coating to give it a nearly smooth surface. This leather strip has a slit in the end through which another, thinner, strip of leather is threaded. This, in turn, divides up into narrower strips which are then corded, tapering towards the end. Finally, a 23cm long red silk cord is tied to the end. It is made up from 3 strands which each consist of a great number of thin red threads. Each single thread is Z-twist, each strand is S-twist while the finished cord is Z-twist. There are 6 knots in the lower part of the silk cord, made by tying one of the three strands around the other two.