Tartan of the Month - March

[Jack Daw]

I'm at work and can't make a comparison, but the tartan reminds me of Cameron of Erracht. (I have an excuse for being way off - I'm color blind)

[figheadair]

Okay...looks like a Regency Era dressing gown, made up in an assymetric variant of the Skene tartan, fabric by WOB, made for a gentleman member of the Highland Society of London.

How far off am I?

Some way off yet

• Regency Era – there or there abouts.
• dressing gown - no
• made up in an asymmetric – yes
• variant of the Skene tartan – no
• fabric by WOB - no
• made for a gentleman member of the Highland Society of London - no

BTW, the Culloden fabric arrived yesterday and it is beautiful. Thanks for setting up the custom weave.

I’m delighted that you’re pleased.

[Morris at Heathfield]

I finally remember what tartan it reminds me of: Shaw of Tordarroch (the green one).

EDIT: Of course, that's unlikely, as the Shaw of Tordarroch tartans were designed in 1969.

[figheadair]

I finally remember what tartan it reminds me of: Shaw of Tordarroch (the green one).

EDIT: Of course, that's unlikely, as the Shaw of Tordarroch tartans were designed in 1969.

I don't see the similarity: here's the ToM then the Shaw:





The ToM has clear overall similarities with the Clan Donald and that sett might have been the source but it's impossible to know for certain.The Shaw, Red and Htg, were based on the MacKintosh/MacBean tartans.

[Cygnus]

At first I thought it was MacInroy, but checking it shows a number of differences as well as an obvious discrepancy in date.

It's quite a nice towncoat, even if none of us amateurs can identify it!

[figheadair]

Well it's nearly the end of the month and I think this one has run its course so here we go.



The coat is in the West Highland Museum, Fort William where it is described as having been made locally c1810. There are a number of labels in the museum that are incorrect and the cut of the coat, the collar and the rear pockets is of the Wm IV style so it is more likely to be c1830-35. It is in immaculate condition and can't have been worn much.

The material on the other hand appears to be older. It's a rural handwoven coarse and naturally dyed cloth that could date anywhere between c1750-1820 so the claimed 1810 date could refer to the cloth rather than the jacket.



The dyes used are without doubt indigo and cochineal for the blue and red respectively plus some yellow, possibly a local plant dye, and indigo for the green.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the sett is asymmetric. It is made so by virtue of the red stripe separating the green and blue on one side of the blue ground.



It has overtures of the Clan Donald sett but that's probably no more than coincidence. A pattern like this is likely to have been intended for clothing rather than plaiding that was used differently.

Hopefully I will have an opportunity to examine the coat in more detail later this year and to look at the sewing, lining and perhaps be lucky enough to find a selvedge that might help determine more about the actual cloth.

[Jock Scot]

Unusually for me, I did keep my mouth shut!

[xman]

Thanks again, Peter. Very informative.

[unaspenser]

Very interesting! It really is a lovely piece.