A "stunning" silver, Welsh slate and Welsh wool crown created by a local farmer's daughter and sponsored by the county's Farmers' Union of Wales branch has been handed over to the organisers of this year's Urdd National Eisteddfod at Bala (May 26-31).
Young Mallwyd artist Mari Eluned made the crown that will be presented to the winning Urdd Gobaith Cymru litterateur in the pavilion at 14.30 on Friday May 30.
FUW Meirionnydd county executive officer Huw Jones said: "Mari is a talented artist and her work is highly respected, locally and nationally, and, of course, she’s a local farm girl from Meirionnydd.
"We were very happy with the draft designs given to us on paper some months ago but only after seeing the completed crown can we fully appreciate how stunning it is."
After graduating with a first class honours degree in jewellery silversmithing from Loughborough University in 2006, Mari returned to Wales to start her own business "Mari Eluned" producing unique jewellery that combines Welsh slate with silver from her home in Mallwyd.
The business has gone from strength to strength and in 2009 she won the "Young Craft Worker/Artist of the Year" title in the 2009 Gwynedd Taste & Talent awards.
The crown was inspired by the spring season and created using silver, gold, Welsh slate and green cloth woven from Welsh wool.
Mari, who began work on the crown in March, said: “The crown is formed from a series of interlinking silver buds that vary in size to convey the development of the Daffodil from bud to flower. The front of the crown is adorned with daffodils made from slate, gold and silver.
“In addition, the contours of some of Meirionnydd’s mountains are etched on the silver whilst the use of green wool reflects the rural countryside. A button, crafted from slate, with gold and silver symbolises the summit.”
“I was recently commissioned by FUW to create the crown for Eisteddfod Powys, but when they contacted me regarding the Urdd crown I was extremely privileged.”
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Eisteddfod crown 2014[/caption]
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Crown presentation: (from left) FUW president Emyr Jones, chairman of the eisteddfod’s executive committee Hedd Pugh, Mari Eluned and Huw Jones[/caption]