ancient sporran?

[chimera]

Would a clansman have a purse-sporran the same size as a chief or king? Would the uniform size only apply to troops in royal regiments? Thus, does the sporran of today represent royalty?
Laird Hooligan of Invergowrie
New South Cymru
Arsetralia.

[TheKiltedWonder]

I think those questions assume too much. It assumes that everyone used a sporran (If I were a chief, couldn't I just get someone to carry my car-keys?), that troops had uniform sporran sizes and that there were great size differences in these sporrans. Furthermore the post also not-so-subtely implies (without evidence) that a sporrans size conveyed the rank of the wearer and that it somehow represents royalty. Even if there were some historic connection between sporrans and royalty, I see no way to argue that a sporran represents royalty. A crown represents royalty; so does a throne. There are many things that represent royalty in contemporary society.

I hope your forgive my bluntness, but your posts seem a little mixed up and unfocused. In addition they seem to lack supporting evidence for some rather bold claims. If you have some interesting information, I am always looking to learn more, but I get confused on some of the posts and I wonder about the evidence as well.

[chimera]

KW,
My questions are based on this from [historic-UK.com]:
"As early as the twelfth century Highland warriors were described as being "bare-legged, with shaggy cloaks and a scrip [small bag] …”
Kilts of that time were very basic garments that required no tailoring and comprised a single piece of tartan cloth some two yards in width by four or six yards in length.
Early sporrans .. They were simple in design and usually gathered at the top by basic drawstrings or by thongs with small tassels.
The history and evolution of the sporran can also be traced through early British military paintings and portraits of Highland soldiers; these later sporrans start to show more elaborate decoration.

From the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century sporrans were generally fitted with metal clasps, usually made from brass, or for clan chiefs, occasionally silver. The elaborate metal workings of some of these clasps are indeed miniature works of art. The goat-haired, sporran molach or hairy sporran was introduced by the military in the eighteenth century. These sporrans often had flap-tops and large tassels and featured a variety of furs and hair such as fox and horse, or occasionally sealskin, all set off with a badger’s head."(end quote).
More accurately, I should have asked would a clansman have large tassels such as a chief had? By analogy with beret feathers, was there a ranking by size of tassels? Officers in the royal service bear metal crowns on epaulettes. The larger military tassels of the 18th century would consistently also represent the monarch. Tassels are displayed around the heraldic Arms of Kings of Scots. As a previous reply and the text above show, "everday" early sporrans had draw-strings. So I am inquiring about royal status being symbolised by larger tassels.

[McFarkus]

from Chicago