From punks to princes, from shortbread tins to enslaved people, the criss-cross fabric has symbolised rebellion, repression – and pure power. As Scotland gets a new leader, we visit a Dundee show exploring its many contradictions
icking your tartan is no easy task.
As a reflection of the constant and often subversive ways tartan has been reinvented, the exhibition is deliberately non-chronological. “How we understand tartan in the 21st century is very much shaped by myths,” says curator Kirsty Hassard. But often these fictions are entwined with moments of very real historical significance, and that is what the exhibition seeks to disentangle.
But the most notable myths were fabricated by the notorious Sobieski Stuart brothers, who may be considered largely responsible for the Victorian “invention” of tartan. The pair, who falsely claimed to be descendants of Bonnie Prince Charlie, created a fake history of tartan in the 1840s, introducing the notion that different highland clans wore different tartans. They spawned a heritage industry that is thriving still.
The public have also been encouraged to contribute to the show: The People’s Tartan segment offers an eclectic selection of personal memories and nostalgia, including a pair of “See You Jimmy” hats worn to the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, and a rare Hillman Imp Caledonian car with fully tartanised interior and matching picnic basket.Photograph: Courtesy of Precious McBane
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