18th Century kilt and sporran

[figheadair]

I may be over thinking this, and I may also be giving the artist more credit than I should, but with the separate plaid and feileadh beag theory in mind:

Is it me, or does it look like the "plaid" portion has notably bolder colors than the "feileadh beag" section? Like what might happen if the lower portion saw a lot more wear than the upper portion?

I think this shows a true feileadh mor. Your confusion is, allowing for artistic licence, due to what appears to be a large plaid setting. Bear in mind that the plaid section is a right angles to the kilted section.



I've circled the features that appear to be the same part of the sett (note how even these have slight 'artistic' differences) and then placed a straight line in the apron and the corresponding section of the plaid which I believe to be the same. You'll see that it's possible to account for the differences you speculate.

I doubt that fading would remove completely the broad darker sections circled.

What's also interesting is why the doublet is painted unfastened in the middle. Perhaps that was a gentrified/courtly fashion at the time.

[Ryan Ross]

I think this shows a true feileadh mor. Your confusion is, allowing for artistic licence, due to what appears to be a large plaid setting. Bear in mind that the plaid section is a right angles to the kilted section.



I've circled the features that appear to be the same part of the sett (note how even these have slight 'artistic' differences) and then placed a straight line in the apron and the corresponding section of the plaid which I believe to be the same. You'll see that it's possible to account for the differences you speculate.

I doubt that fading would remove completely the broad darker sections circled.

What's also interesting is why the doublet is painted unfastened in the middle. Perhaps that was a gentrified/courtly fashion at the time.

Ah!!! Thanks so much, good sir, as I certainly see what you mean now... and goodness, but that IS a very large set, compounded by being worn on a smallish person, I suppose.

Examining these old pictures really is interesting though, and I'm seeing more and more how much practice is involved in picking out certain types of details, such as how tartan is often rendered with a grain of salt and must be "read" accordingly.

[thescot]

If the tartan is a typical repeating tartan--and I don't know if it is or not--the 90 degree turn wouldn't make a difference. It would be the same either way, wouldn't it?

[figheadair]

It would, but the point I was trying to make was that a large sett would not necessarily be identifiable in just the kilt apron and that the plaid section might, in a case such as this, need to be read across the way rather than top to bottom in order to understand the apron section.

[saintdavid]

there is no evidence of the great kilt until 1594, that being the earliest 16th century art.
saintdavid

[Morris at Heathfield]

That bears no known resemblance to any Campbell tartan I've seen. This and other portraits can be seen on line at the Scottish National Gallery site.

At this point in history, I think it would be more accurate to talk about "tartans worn by Campbells" than about "Campbell tartans". The Campbell tartans used today don't turn up in 18th-century portraits, since they are all essentially variations on the Government tartan. The only (possible) exception that I know of is that Pryse Campbell is shown in a portrait wearing a plaid in a tartan similar to (but not quite the same as) the Campbell of Cawdor tartan. The majority of 18th-century portraits of Campbells in Highland dress show them wearing black & red tartans. There is a later portrait of Lord Glenorchy in a jacket, plaid, and trews all in a red-based tartan.

This boy's grandfather was a Jacobite - which may come as a surprise to think that this clan were the most Whiggish of the "loyal" clans.

A lot of what we think we know about Scottish history is far more complex than the "surface" version.

Pryse Campbell, who I just mentioned, was apparently a Jacobite. Glenorchy was merely wrongly suspected of being a Jacobite. According to the Lairds of Glenlyon, the first military expedition of the '15 was an attempt by John Campbell of Glenlyon, leading the men of Breadalbane, to raise Argyll to the Jacobite cause. The attempt was largely unsuccessful, and nearly led to a Campbell civil war, but it did manage to isolate Argyll from the rest of Scotland (at least by land).

As for the '45, James Campbell of Ardkinglas was a notable instigator, although he was too old to take part in the action.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

One of the things I've always found intriguing about this painting is the positioning of Lord George's pistol. It would appear as if he is holding it by the barrel...

[artificer]

One of the things I've always found intriguing about this painting is the positioning of Lord George's pistol. It would appear as if he is holding it by the barrel...

maybe an 'of the day' weapon stance? You hold your sword & swing until you have space for a 'good shot' (since reloading in a melee could be a killer)?

It's in your hand, so you don't need to fish it out of a sash or baldric. Quite literally, to hand...

[Ryan Ross]

maybe an 'of the day' weapon stance? You hold your sword & swing until you have space for a 'good shot' (since reloading in a melee could be a killer)?

It's in your hand, so you don't need to fish it out of a sash or baldric. Quite literally, to hand...

That's a good thought, Scott.

...and those things being solid steel, they made a good bludgeoning weapon, too. You could use it as-is, in stead of a left hand dirk.

[Woodsheal]

One of the things I've always found intriguing about this painting is the positioning of Lord George's pistol. It would appear as if he is holding it by the barrel...

It's most likely hanging barrel down, clipped to a separate strap that doesn't show up in the painting. Check out this officer's rig: