Vintage 1930's Scottish Ermine Dress Sporran
Vintage 1930's Scottish Ermine Dress Sporran - Fine 1930’s Scottish Ermine dress sporran with a pierced silver plated bullseye cantle, matching bells and matching ermine tail tassels. The back has what is known a military style back pouch with internal coin pocket in soft green leather.
Made by Scott Adie Ltd, The Royal Scotch Warehouse, London. By Appointment to the Late Queen Mary.
The original owner served as an officer in the Gordon Highlanders during WW2 and this was his civilian dress sporran.
Ermine is the fur of the stoat in it’s winter coat. The winter fur is very dense and silky, but quite closely lying and short, while the summer fur is rougher, shorter and sparse in brown and white. The tip of the tail in the winter coat has a black tip. Peers of the realm have long worn lines of ermine tails to denote their rank.
The rank of the peer is indicated by rows of "ermine tails (or the like)" on a miniver cape: 4 for a duke, 3½ for a marquess, 3 for an earl, 2½ for a viscount and 2 for a baron. Royal dukes have six rows of ermine, and additional rows on the collar and on the front edges of the garment.
