The Clan tartan
is MacThomas. It is quite distinct and not to be confused
with MacTavish , Thomson or Mackintosh tartans - whatever some
shopkeeepers may say to the contrary.
The MacThomas
tartan is recorded in the official Scottish Register of
Tartans - link.
MacThomas Tartan is
composed of blue and green divided by narrower bands of black;
two adjacent lines of magenta cross over the blue squares and
two lines of lilac over the green.
The tartan is
produced commercially in two versions - Ancient (19th century)
and Modern (20th century). These respectively reproduce the
softer shades anciently achieved by the use of the old
vegetable dyes and the darker colours made possible by the
introduction of chemical dyes.
The two versions
are illustrated on the right and further technical information
appears at the foot of this page.
The
Crest Badge, as illustrated, consists of the Chief's crest
within a buckled strap bearing his motto: 'Deo Juvante
Invidiam Superabo' (Latin - "With God's help I will overcome
envy").
This crest must not be used without
the strap and buckle since it is personal to the chief as are
his arms. There is no such thing as 'Clan
Arms'.
The badge is
normally worn as a bonnet badge or as a brooch for fastening
ladies' tartan sashes.
The thread count
rolls over itself at the middle of the small green section
between the lilac stripes.
The thread count
for the Modern version is identical to that for the
Ancient but the colours are darker. The above count is that
for the principal use of the tartan fabrics such as kilts or
skirts. It can be reduced for smaller items like
ties.
When
buying MacThomas tartan it is important to ensure that the
size of the double over-check is the correct size for the item
being purchased. Also that the magenta and lilac colours are
correct and clearly different.
The Scottish
Register of Tartans records details of all Scottish Tartans.
Please click here to
visit their website.
The MacThomas
Tartan is now registered there as follows:
