Click the tartan to view its entry in The Scottish Registers of Tartans which includes registration details, restrictions, and registrant information.
Unregistered tartans may link to one of the web's online design environments for similar information.
For any questions about reproduction of designs or weaving of these tartans, please contact the registrant directly or via this website.
Guinea Pig Day
"There once was a guinea pig, Harry,
Kilted up in bonnie Inveraray.
In tartan he'd prance,
With bagpipes by chance,
His four legs looking quite short and hairy!"
~ Angus MacWheekers
If there's any of the order Rodentia that deserves its own tartan, it's the humble and gentle guinea pig (cavia porcellus)! A special thank you to Carol A.L. Martin for creating a tartan for this most beloved of small pets! Guinea pigs were imported from South American to Europe in the 1500s and quickly became a popular exotic pocket pet and interestingly, a muse for many artists who tackled the drawing of this furry creature, most notably Dutch Masters Jan Brueghel the Elder and Younger, who inspired many of their followers to include guinea pigs in their works. If you are so inclined, please visit Guinea Pigs in Art - A Pictorial Gallery to see the often surprising and centrally positioned inclusion of guinea pigs in allegorical, religious, portraiture, and other still life genres, from the 1500s through mid-century modern art. #wheekwheek 🐹🖌️🎨
For Guinea Pig Appreciation Day, we have "Guinea Pigs for Deborah" tartan, the first ever tartan designed for cavia porcellus.
By designer Carol A.L. Martin, this tartan reflects the varied colors of the domestic guinea pig.
"An asymmetrical design inspired by the beautiful fur coat of the humble Guinea Pig. For Deborah of The Red Thistle Dancers and Guinea Pig lovers everywhere."
Although not recognized in tartan until now, guinea pigs have long been a legitimate art subject for the great masters since their introduction in Europe as exotic pets in the 1500s. Sometimes painted as primary subjects themselves, but often included as incidental curio figures in paintings with mythological or historical themes.
They are invariably eating.
To check your fine art and guinea pig spotting skills, click the baby guinea pigs to visit the Guinea Pigs in Art - A Pictorial Gallery facebook page.