The officers of the Highland regiments had more than one sporran style.
In looking through some 1881-1914 photographs I see that the officers of the Gordon Highlanders wore five short gold bullion tassels in Full Dress and Levee Dress but two long horsehair tassels in Service Dress. Interesting that the Drum Major wore the officers' sporran (though quite possibly the Drum Major's sporran had certain distinctions).
In the Seaforth Highlanders it was six short gold bullion tassels in Full Dress, two long black horsehair tassels in Service Dress.
I see photos of officers of the Cameron Highlanders wearing their ornate grey horsehair Full Dress sporrans with six short gold bullion tassels even in Service Dress at times, while they appeared to usually wear the Other Ranks sporran in Service Dress.
In The Black Watch officers wore five short black horsehair tassels in Full Dress and Service Dress, but five short gold bullion tassels in Levee Dress and Mess Dress. It was just a matter of switching out the tassels; the same sporran body was sometimes used.
In the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders the officers wore a badger-head sporran for most orders of dress but an entirely different sporran for Levee Dress and Mess Dress.
In addition to all of this, in the Argylls there was a special sporran worn only by certain senior sergeants, most often seen worn by the Pipe Major and Drum Major.
It's a complicated thing, all these army sporrans!
Some pics:
Full Dress officers sporrans of the Seaforth Highlanders; I don't know why they have different cantles.
Early Black Watch officers' sporran with gold lace (braid) rim. This was later replaced by the familiar cast gilt metal top, now worn by all ranks of the RRS. (Back then the officers wore six tassels, the men wore five tassels.)
Argylls' Levee Dress officers' sporran
The incredibly ornate Cameron Highlanders officers' Full Dress sporran
An 1856-1869 photo of an officer of the 78th Highlanders showing eight tassels!
Gordons officers wearing long black tassels in undress and Full Dress
Showing the difference, in the Argylls, between Full Dress and Levee Dress
An officer of the Argylls wearing the ordinary officers' sporran in Mess Dress
Officers of the Seaforth Highlanders; you can see sporrans with six short gold bullion tassels, and two long black horsehair tassels.
Last edited by OC Richard; 12th November 18 at 06:31 PM.
Proud Mountaineer from the Highlands of West Virginia; son of the Revolution and Civil War; first Europeans on the Guyandotte
Originally Posted by kilted redleg
Bookmarks