Tartan of the Month - August: What do you see?

[figheadair]

Hummmmm. Not sure why that should be. I'll need to check once I'm back on my other machine that let's me onto Photobucket.

Sorted

[xman]

You're on the right track - keep going and tease that thought process out.

Well, McQuarrie were followers of the Lord of the Isles so this might be a McDonald or associated regional or fashion tartan. Looks a bit like MacKintosh too though.

[figheadair]

Well, McQuarrie were followers of the Lord of the Isles so this might be a McDonald or associated regional or fashion tartan. Looks a bit like MacKintosh too though.

Going off down a rabbit hole now..............

The aim of these posts is to encourage people to look at what can be discerned from the cloth.

[xman]

The aim of these posts is to encourage people to look at what can be discerned from the cloth.

Thanks for making me take another look.

Horizontally, there appears to be two bright red lines on both plaids which may not be part of the sett. I wonder if this is a signature of some kind, like the cloths were woven by the same weaver, or on the same loom.

[figheadair]

Thanks for making me take another look.

Horizontally, there appears to be two bright red lines on both plaids which may not be part of the sett. I wonder if this is a signature of some kind, like the cloths were woven by the same weaver, or on the same loom.

X - you are misreading the cloth. Those stripes appear brighter because they are true colours not half tones. But if you look vertically?????

[figheadair]

So what have we got so far?

• Two pieces of a similar setting but in different colours.
  
• Both pieces have a herringbone selevdge.
  
• A suggestion that they are from the same era.
  
• The smaller piece is what is now called MacColl

Any more thoughts?

[Morris at Heathfield]

Two very similar tartans. One developed into the MacColl tartan. I have a hypothesis that the other one developed into a different named tartan, but I haven't been able to find evidence to back up my hunch. The closest tartans I have been able to find so far are the Robertson/Donachie tartan and the Culloden plaid, not to be confused with the Culloden (coat) tartan. Or maybe it's a highly irregular MacDonald of Sleat.

[figheadair]

Two very similar tartans. One developed into the MacColl tartan. I have a hypothesis that the other one developed into a different named tartan, but I haven't been able to find evidence to back up my hunch. The closest tartans I have been able to find so far are the Robertson/Donachie tartan and the Culloden plaid, not to be confused with the Culloden (coat) tartan. Or maybe it's a highly irregular MacDonald of Sleat.

Similar yes. So much so in fact that I suspect that they are by the same weaver and off the same loom. Your hypothosis is wrong in that the larger piece remains 'unnamed' and has never been adoptd by anyone/developed into something else.

I won't be writing these up separately as the two pieces form part of a larger paper that I'm writing but it will take some time to finish. Suffice to say at this stage that the smaller of the two is the oldest/original setting of what is now known as MacColl and that as is so often the case, the modern trade pattern is less subtle in both shades and setting.

[xman]

... I suspect that they are by the same weaver and off the same loom. ...

That must be a very exciting revelation as you're holding the two cloths in your hand.

Thanks again, Peter. A fascinating bit of information.