This week, the Objects R Us Forum goes to the highlands of Scotland. The challenge is to recreate a Sporran in PI. What is a Sporran you ask? Well, a Sporran is a pouch made of leather or fur that is worn on a chain around the waist on the front of a kilt.

Here is a picture of the Wiz and his good friend Sean, both dressed in their best "Sunday go to meeting" kilts, complete with sporran. Note their pet Viking Rudolph!

Since the traditional kilt lacks any kind of pocket, the well dressed Kiltman uses his sporran to carry his keys, money clip, credit cards, identification, girls phone numbers and (not uncommonly) his hip-flask. The standard leather sporrans are simple black leather pouches with little adornment.

The dress sporrans are larger than the everyday variety, and are more ornate. These will have chrome or silver cantles trimming the top of the bag and a fur covered face with coloured tassels. The cantle will contain intricate filigree or etchings of Celtic knots. The top of the cantle
will have a set stone, jewel, or emblems such as Saint Andrew, a thistle, Clan or Masonic symbols.

Pipers will often wear the most flamboyant sporrans with long horsehair that swishes from side to side as the piper marches.

When worn properly, the sporran will hang just below the belt, therefore there is much effort made to match the style and design of the sporran with the buckle being worn. The kilt belt buckle can be very ornate, and contain similar motifs to the sporran cantle and the Sgian Dubh (Scottish dirk).

So our challenge this week is to recreate an authentic Scottish Sporran. Still have trouble picturing what they look like? I have two suggestions.

Recently the Objects R Us was given permission to check out ML's private collection of Sporrans. I have enclosed a link should you decide you wish to look at the collection. Just be warned! Not for the faint of heart!

ML's Private Kiltman Collection!

My second suggestion would be to go to Yahoo, type Sporran into the search engine and then hit the image link at the top. More Sporrans than you can shake a stick at. Have fun this week in the Highlands of Scotland!

Anne	Anne-Grete	Birgit

Paula	Cami	Candace

Carole	Jeri	Kay

Starbright