Tassels on a sporran

[Spartan Tartan]

Once again, I find myself learning something I would have never imagined to ask about.

[OC Richard]

Tassels?? what tassels??

















and yours truly

[NewEnglander]

Tassels?? what tassels??

those are just examples of one big hairy tassel.

[Zardoz]

While I have 3 betassled sporrans, the daywear one in the middle of the top row here is the only one really 'drums' like that. But I reckon I only really hear them in quiet places, or indoors like motel hallways etc..
the Stillwater (top right) and rabbit ones are pretty quiet.

[thescot]

Huh. I thought it was common knowledge that the tassels were, originally, "draw strings" that closed one or more "pockets" inside the sporran's bag. As the use of the sporran evolved from a multi-purpose hold all to a gentleman's purse intended primarily for show, the tassels remained as a decorative feature.

I thought so as well. The first sporran I owned was a Rob Roy style that closed by pulled leather thongs with horn on each end so that when it was closed, the ends of the thong became "tassels" that hung down the front and had that familiar pop-pop mentioned above.

I still wear that sporran if I am out in the woods walking.

[BoldHighlander]

Huh. I thought it was common knowledge that the tassels were, originally, "draw strings" that closed one or more "pockets" inside the sporran's bag.

That was always my thought too, though John does also make a good point:

No such thing as a daft question! What is common knowledge to some will always be new ground to others with less experience.

Here's mine (Artficer #6), sans tassels:

[OC Richard]

Oooooh that's so nice Terry. The epitome of understated elegance. The quality shines through.

Is that Cooper tartan in the background? My grandmother's side were Coopers.

[Jordan]

I'm not a big fan on those styles of sporran they just look too empty at the front for my tastes. It does look nice thought and great a quality sporran.

I don't think it's cooper my old one which is actually on eBay just now (shrinkage) has a wider purple stripe.

Could it be a boyd?

[artificer]

...
I don't think it's cooper my old one which is actually on eBay just now (shrinkage) has a wider purple stripe.

Could it be a boyd?

Got it in one, It's Boyd/Baird Modern.

ith:

[OC Richard]

I have a question: is this actually how sporrans used to be made? By "actually" I mean, are there surviving early sporrans like this? Or is this an example of a modern creation based on presumptions or guesses about the past, or a modern creation "inspired" by the past?

If there is an extant early specimen like this, could somebody post a photo?

The earliest sporrans I saw in museums in Scotland were mid-18th century examples, on which the tassels were already merely decorative. They looked like this (a modern copy)



By the late 18th century the sporrans had become dressier with large numbers of small tassels



and by the 1820s and 1830s looked like this. Red binding, cones, and even tassels are often seen at that time



By the 1840s sporrans had got longer. In the military they always had six or five short tassels. (Military sporrans with two or three long tassels didn't appear until later)



I might point out that nowadays most civilian pipe band sporrans lack tassels. I think it's mostly being practical: pipe band kit gets hard use and if a band's sporrans have Evening Dress sporran type tassels on little chains, sooner or later a number of sporrans in the band will have missing tassels.

The most popular pipe band sporran by far (at some competitions worn by 90% of the bands) is a black leather sporran with a body like a Hunting Sporran (with flat rivetted-down vestigal tassels) and a chrome cantle. There's nothing to fall off, nothing to get lost