formal sporran

[OC Richard]

A formal sporran has a fur body with a metal cantle, usually white metal such as silver or plated metal. Anything else i.e. a plain leather sprorran is for daywear.

Yes that's what the 1936 catalogue seen above said (top of page 24); as I mentioned these are 20th century notions, as in the 19th century long hair sporrans were worn for both day and evening. Just where, how, and why the small pocketlike "day" and "evening" sporrans evolved c1900 are questions that no one, so far, has been able to shed much light upon.

[BThomHie]

thanks for the information. looks like a penny jar for a badger of skunk perhaps. the most helpful was the notation on woolen underware....?semper ubi sub ubi
Thom