Quote Originally Posted by Orvis View Post
Peter, based on your comments above (that the initials are feminine and the piece is a remnant of a larger plaid) and based on the cloth's size, I'm going to guess that the piece was presented as a woman's tartan screen (or shawl), since the 1780's is probably too late for it to have been worn as an airisaid. Another guess would be that the piece could have been a bed-hanging.
Given the amount of red, and the general quality of the dyeing, this was a quality piece. Like so many pieces of this age we don't know what its original purpose was, if indeed there was just one. It could have been a screen but the weight is a little heavy, possibly a man's upper plaid, although the joined nature makes this unlikely IMO. I'm sceptical too about the whole arisaid concept, especially post-1700. More likely I think was intended for some form of domestic use such as bed hangings or possibly a bed cover.

I know that this has been handed down in a Perthshire family but the identity of the initials is currently unknown. When I have time there will be a full paper on the piece.