The Scottish tartan has spread across the globe and in New Zealand it is a source of pride for many.
Tartan, with its immediately recognisable patterns and colours, is not just a Scottish invention. In many cultures, cloth is made with crossing lines of warp and weft, but Scotland has managed to imbue its tartan fabric with heritage and history. This has meant that, wherever people live who have Scottish heritage, tartan represents a tangible link with their ancestry.
The library in the studio has been lucky enough to have been gifted some tartan history. After a Second World War a returning soldier set-up shop in Palmerston North. W. M. Sexton Ltd were “Importers, Indentors and Manufacturers Agents” and in the shop were some magnificent sample books from Peter MacArthur & Co, Ltd from Hamilton in Scotland: Authentic Tartans. The family member who inherited two books and a small set of more unusual tartans from the shop has presented these to the library.
The collection sits on a table in the studio and it is extraordinary how many people who see the books look up their family name. Recently a pipe band leader has found her family tartan in the books, and also learned about the tartan that a band she belongs to performs in. Visitors from Australia, Canada, the USA and of course New Zealand all love leafing through this little piece of history. With its bright colours – some of them quite startling – this gift promises to be in use for many years to come.
Leave a Reply