Earliest use of brass-cantle sporrans?

[figheadair]

I think I've seen the original too... if it was at The National Portrait Gallery, or one of the castles... I can't recall. But in photos it's quite clear that it's sealskin. Nothing else looks remotely like mottled grey sealskin.

I still disagree. I doubt that you've seen the original as it's still in the family at Abercairney and has never, so far as I know, been shown. I will have to dig out the pictures that I took of it which I still believe show the sporran to be plain brown.

Anyhow here's an 18th century portrait which quite clearly shows sealskin, and I've seen the original many times, because it's here in Los Angeles! Yes the one in The National Portrait Gallery is an unsigned copy, while the one in the Los Angeles Museum of Art it the signed and dated original. The copy is somewhat different, the angle of the sword-arm was changed and the background altered. Here's the copy, in Scotland

Thanks for highlighting this portrait. I had no idea that there was a copy albeit with differences. My understanding is that the portrait is somewhat after the date that it portrays and was painted by Copley c1770. What date is on the original? The sporran is certainly fur and brass cantled but I'm not sure one can say with certainty that it's seal skin. It could equally be exotic cat of some sort.

It's a shame that it's not in better condition but the central figure in the Dutch Wall Mural looks as though it might have a mental cantle.

[OC Richard]

I The sporran is certainly fur and brass cantled but I'm not sure one can say with certainty that it's seal skin. It could equally be exotic cat of some sort.

Yes you're right there... I guess we need an expert on various furs to tell us just what Hugh Mongomerie's sporran is. I have seen sealskin sporrans that looked just like that, though, or at least they were being sold as sealskin.

BTW the cantle is silver, like the lace on his jacket and the rest of his accoutrements. The 77th Highlanders (Montgomerie's Highlanders) wore Dark Green facings and Silver lace, I am told.

I'm waiting for somebody to post an 18th century portrait of somebody wearing one of those semicircular brass cantle sporrans. I can't find one in any of my books.