Canadian tartans

[ccga3359]

Nice Maple Leaves gentlemen, thanks for posting.

And perhaps I don't understand what an asymmetric tartan is but, of the official tartans, only New Brunswick looks asymmetric to me?

Maple leaf is as well as Ensign of Ontario.

From The Tartan Story by Blair Urquhart:

Type
Three types of pattern are listed. Symmetrical setts contain two pivots; the points where the sequence of stripes, starting at the pivot, can be seen to be identical in four directions, North, South, East and West. The two pivots are connected along the diagonal by plain squares, each of a single colour. The full sett is the sequence of colours read from right to left, turned about the pivot, and repeated left to right. It is usually between 5 and 7 inches in width to accommodate the kilting (pleats). A symmetrical tartan can be recorded as an half sett.

Asymmetrical setts have no true pivots although appearances can be deceptive. The pattern is repeated from right to left across the width of the cloth. Manufacturers using double width looms change the direction of the pattern at the centre, where the cloth will be folded, to allow tailors to match the colours when cutting items of clothing other than kilts. Tailor's off cuts could contain some pieces easily mistaken for examples of a symmetrical form of an asymmetrical tartan. The full sett must be recorded beginning at the colour whose first letter is nearest to the beginning of the alphabet. It is also necessary to establish the front of the cloth: The side on which the individual stitches appear to make diagonal lines from bottom left to top right.

Equal check
This is the simplest form of tartan involving only two colours. The MacGregor tartan known as Rob Roy is a black and red check. The Moncreiffe tartan is red and green.

[CMcG]

Maple leaf is as well as Ensign of Ontario.

From The Tartan Story by Blair Urquhart:

Thanks for the definitions, that's very helpful

It appears, then, that Plaid du Québec and Yukon are also asymmetrical.

Is there any symbolic value to a tartan being asymmetrical or symmetrical? If so, it is interesting that the official tartans tend to be symmetrical, while the unofficial ones tend to be asymmetrical... I have a bunch of other Canadian tartans (city, university, service) that I still need post and we shall see if they follow the same pattern.