A real rob roy sporran

[Emmet]

I found this sporran interesting compared to the more common "rob roy" sporrans that do the rounds



Full story

http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/reco...che=54vd112fj6

[MacSpadger]

Did you see it on telly this week on the BBC prog from Inverary Castle? Plenty of great artifacts and proof that Rob Roy never wore a "Rob Roy" sporran.

[Lime]

Inverary Castle has a great collection (esp. dirks); I've wondered why this sporran was not better known. I'll have to look up the program on i-player.

[MacRobert's Reply]

There are at least four sporrans in that are claimed to have belonged to Rob Roy. While I doubt that he was really the owner of so many, they are all from about the right era and they all have metal cantles:
- the one in Edinburgh
- one in Abbotsford house
- another in Inverary castle
- and one sold at Bonhams in 2004
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/10914/lot/370/

[Mr.Charles Anthony]

Rabble;
Let me toss out my un-knowing to the wolves here; I had thought the metal topped sporrans belonged to the Victorian era folks, and not to the era of Geo. I Rex. Can we date with any accuracy the beginings of metal topped sporrans? And why, if anyone can hazard a view, is the more difficult to make metal topped sporran associated with R.Roy.when the 'standard ' floppy top, is far easier to make, with less skill and $ involved. The 2nd sort would be more in keeping with an era of poverty in Scotland.
OK now, who wants to 'rain on my parade' of logic??
Your thoughts ARE welcomed by
CSA

[MacRobert's Reply]

There are many metal cantled sporrans in Scotland which date from the 17th and 18th Centuries. These have functioning cantles rather than the just-for-show versions of later eras. There are also quite a few metal cantles in museums where the sporran bag has perished. Simple leather draw-string sporrans also exist from the 17 and 18th Centuries. I guess that the personal wealth of the owner would be one of the key determinants of whether or not a metal cantle could be afforded. Of course the more durable cantles tend to outlast the leather bags, are re-bagged by succeeding generations and are probably over represented in Scottish museums.

Here are a few in the National Museum in Edinburgh:
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/resu...h_term=sporran

and in Glasgow:
http://collections.glasgowmuseums.co...d=533760&img=2

[Emmet]

Is there a link to the Inveraray program tried to find it on iplayer but couldn't?

[MacSpadger]

The programe details are here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014s4lj

but I don't know if it's on iPlayer. I can't find it but it definitely was broadcast very recently, in the last week or so.

[Harold Cannon]

Here is an image of the one at Inveraray. Look closely at the belt. It has a buckle on each side of the sporran.



I have not seen images of the other two. Does anyone have images of them?

[Harold Cannon]

I found one for Abbotsford house.