Mountain Devil

This is a 'devil doll', so callled because of the resemblance of its head to a devil.
The head is the seed pod of the handsome red bloom of a native plant, lambertia formosa.

For many years, no self respecting tourist would leave the mountains without one.
Pipe cleaners and a scrap of material and 'hey, presto!'

This one is in the window of the Blackheath Newsagency.

If mountains folk are interested in reading more about them, the wonderful local, Pauline Connolly, has an article about them here.