LOOK at the SELVEDGE!!!

[Angus]

I've read descriptions of wool or silk tape binding around the edges of plaids from that period. Some of my reenactor friends do this to theirs, and it looks good!

Brian, is there a reason for this, does it serve a purpose, or is it just for looks?

[emolas]

Brian, is there a reason for this, does it serve a purpose, or is it just for looks?

Perhaps they were unable to get a selvedge or it became frayed and the ribbon was used as a patch...?

It might look pretty interesting to have a half inch edge around the bottom cut on the bias.

[highlander_Daz]

it always puzzles me that on very old depictions/portraits of people playing pipes they are very often playing them left handed, or a "mirror image" as is his kilt apron

[Woodsheal]

it always puzzles me that on very old depictions/portraits of people playing pipes they are very often playing them left handed, or a "mirror image" as is his kilt apron

The image is not reversed in this case (look at the printing on his banner)....

I think the binding on the plaid edge was both decorative, and to protect the edges from fraying....

[M. A. C. Newsome]

it always puzzles me that on very old depictions/portraits of people playing pipes they are very often playing them left handed, or a "mirror image" as is his kilt apron

I know that sometimes an image gets reversed during the editing process before it gets printed (or put on a web site). I know this to be the case because sometimes I have seen two versions of the same picture!

However, as Brian points out, we know that's not the case here, because the writing is correct. Maybe we just have a left handed piper!

[Quaich Maker]

it always puzzles me that on very old depictions/portraits of people playing pipes they are very often playing them left handed, or a "mirror image" as is his kilt apron

Daz
William Cumming was a 'left handed' piper .
It was not uncommon in Highland piping tradition .
'Right handed' conformity is more British army instituted thing , that a natural way .

[highlander_Daz]

I know its not uncommon to see a left hander , but it seems on a lot of old depictions of pipers they are depicted as playing left handed, on very old engravings etc, I wonder where they buy thoses left handed chanters from? the Tartan paint shop maybe?

[Roan Carter]

it always puzzles me that on very old depictions/portraits of people playing pipes they are very often playing them left handed, or a "mirror image" as is his kilt apron

Many classically trained artists used mirrors to capture the outline of a subject accurately. There are a TON of left handed people in paintings during the ages of the ninja turtle artists.

[highlander_Daz]

i thought as much, I wonder if Matt Groening uses the same technique?

i was wondering if there was a connection between both the left hander and the bagpipes being associated with the devil, the connection beween the pipes and the Devil has always interested me, in Burns story "Tam O'Shanter" "Auld Nick"! appears playing the bagpipes, there is also a legend that playing the pipes in a thunderstorm will summon the Devil

sorry off topic
but those old pics are great

cowabunga dudes

[highlander_Daz]

On this pic hes playing left handed but his hands are right handed it looks like