Jacobite and Hanoverian Sporrans
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of eight sporrans from Scotland, which date from about 1700 to 1799. This collection comprises sporrans made from pig, calf and deer skin, with incised brass clasps. They reflect the farming and hunting heritage of the Highland communities and served to identify the appearance of Highlanders. Only one sporran, found at Culloden, has been associated with a Jacobite battle. A sporran, Gaelic for 'purse', is a pouch, often made of leather, fur and ornate metals, which is worn around the waist and commonly accompanies traditional tartan attire, such as the kilt. Today it is worn as a decorative item, but traditionally its use was more practical, serving as a container for personal items, which could not be kept in the wearer’s pocket-less kilt.
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