Jayskin

This strange-looking object is the disguise worn by the Scottish Covenanter preacher Alexander Peden. After being ejected from his parish in 1662 for refusing to conform, Peden spent years on the run, preaching illegally while government forces hunted Covenanters across Scotland. To avoid recognition, he wore this leather and cloth mask, complete with a wig and beard made from real human hair. He was eventually captured and imprisoned on the Bass Rock, but later returned to Scotland and continued preaching. Peden died in 1686. His mask survives today in the National Museum of Scotland. A remarkable relic from the age of the Covenanters 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿