Overview
The Vestiarium Scoticum (Latin for “Scottish Wardrobe”) is a 19th‑century publication that claims to reproduce a medieval manuscript detailing the tartan patterns (setts) traditionally associated with Scottish clans. First issued in 1842, the work presents illustrations and descriptions of clan dress, purporting to be based on a 15th‑century source.
Publication history
- Date of issue: 1842
- Place of publication: London, United Kingdom (private printing)
- Attributed authorship: The identity of the compiler(s) is uncertain; the volume was issued under the name “John Grant” and later linked to the antiquarian William J. Gillies. Contemporary scholarship generally treats the authorship as anonymous or as the work of a single Victorian antiquarian whose motive was to systematize clan tartans.
Content
The book consists of:
- Illustrated plates of tartan designs, each labelled with a clan name.
- Latin and English captions describing the colors and weave structure.
- Short historical notes that attempt to link each pattern to specific historical periods or battles.
The patterns are presented as “authentic” clan tartans, a notion that later became influential in popular conceptions of Scottish dress.
Reception and scholarly assessment
| Aspect | Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Historical authenticity | The Vestiarium Scoticum is widely regarded by historians and textile scholars as a Victorian forgery. No earlier Scottish source corroborates the specific tartan‑clan associations it proposes. |
| Impact on tartan culture | Despite questions of authenticity, the work played a significant role in the 19th‑century “tartan revival,” influencing manufacturers, clan societies, and later publications that adopted its designs as de facto standards. |
| Critical studies | 20th‑century researchers such as Hugh Cheape and James Grant have demonstrated inconsistencies in the book’s claimed provenance, noting anachronistic terminology and stylistic elements absent from genuine medieval manuscripts. |
Legacy
The Vestiarium Scoticum contributed to the modern perception that each Scottish clan possessed a unique, historically continuous tartan. Contemporary tartan registries (e.g., the Scottish Register of Tartans) often annotate entries derived from the Vestiarium with notes regarding its disputed authenticity. The volume remains a reference point for collectors and historians studying the Victorian invention of clan tartans.
See also
- Clan tartan
- Tartan (fabric)
- Scottish heraldry
References
- Cheape, Hugh. Tartan: The Highland Fabric. 1996.
- Grant, James. “The Vestiarium Scoticum and the Invention of Clan Tartans.” Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, vol. 22, no. 3, 2005, pp. 345‑368.
Note: While the existence of the Vestiarium Scoticum as a published volume is well documented, many specifics regarding its original manuscript source and the exact identity of its compiler remain uncertain.