Peacock Tartans

Summary of Peacock Tartans

• Antique Peacock Feather Fan
• Palace of Gold and Golden Peacock Window
• Traditional Peacock Celtic Knot
• Modified Peacock Celtic Knot
• Aon Graphics Celtic Knots
• Peacock Colors
• A Peacock Train?
• Peacock Samantha Modern Tartan
• Scottish Odyssey Tartan
• Ribbons in Peacock Colors
• Origami Peacock Decorations
• Flowers For Those Wild Peacock Colors

Peacock tartans? As a Scottish wedding theme?

At first thought, it might seem far-fetched. But think of the Scotsmen as sea-farers, who traded around the globe. And just what do you think they brought home for their wives? Beautiful jewels, colorful silks from the Orient, French fashions…and peacock feathers. The feathers traveled well, and the motif was popular in many cultures.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Eve didn’t collect a few of those beautiful feathers, just to look at them. The bible tells us that sailing merchants brought them to King Solomon. They became a popular motif in architecture, decoration, and clothing.

Antique Peacock Fans

This fan is a good example. Take a closer look at the tips of the leaves ~ they're peacock feather eyes. Fans were brought from the Far East to Europe in the 1600's.

In 1685, the Edict of Nantes, caused many to flee France, including fan-makers, thus spreading and popularizing fans across Europe, including Scotland.

photo taken in the Whaling Museum, Sag Harbor, New York

Palace of Gold and Peacock Golden Window

This architectural example is the Golden Window, in the Palace of Gold, in Moundsville, West Virginia. The exterior view is a wonderful axample of a peacock motif.


photo courtesy Morgue Files, robbinssky photographer

But when you view the interior, it really takes on the colors of the peacock tail.


photo courtesy Morgue Files, robbinssky photographerbr>

Traditional Peacock Celtic Knot

This is the traditional Peacock Celtic knot, one of several animals that developed importance in the Celt society.

Modified Peacock Celtic Knot

A Peacock Celtic knot, created by Cari at Aon Celtic Designs shows some variation.


Image property of Cari Buziak at Aon Celtic Art

Aon Graphics Celtic Knots

A source for Cari Buziak's Celtic knotwork page designs and art, free graphics and beading designs, plus much, much more.

Peacock Colors

With a variety of species, this breast displays a turquoise, rather than the royal blue of the Indian peacock.


photo courtesy Morgue Files

Closeup views of the tail feathers.


photo courtesy Morgue Files



photo courtesy Morgue Files, Julie Orahilly photographer

What we call the tail is really a ‘train’ growing from their back, above their actual short, stubby tail. The train is displayed as a part of the courtship ritual.

A Peacock Train?

photo courtesy Morgue Files

As mentioned in the August 10th blog, just imagine a wedding train, created along the lines of the ‘Butterfly Princess’, with layers of shimmering, transparent, vibrant fabrics. The gold is less prevalent in this photo, with more iridescent green standing out.

But how do you tie these colors in with Scottish tartans?

Peacock Samantha Modern Tartan

There’s actually two Peacock tartans, for the surname Peacock. One example is Peacock Samantha Modern.



With some variations in the iridescent fabrics for the skirt and bodice, this would be a striking wedding color theme.

But to really draw out the colors of the peacock, Scottish Odyssey, by Lochcarron of Scotland, is a better choice.

Scottish Odyssey Tartan

Scottish Odyssey was designed to celebrate the popularity of traveling across Scotland, which is a land of striking contrasts and rugged beauty.


photo courtesy Wikipedia

Compare this tartan with the eyes and just watch the colors jump off the page.


Lochcarron of Scotland Tartan

Ribbons for Peacock Tartans

Ribbons could be varying shades of green, royal blue, purple, shades of turquoise, gold, or white.

Peacock Origami Decoratons

An origami idea I’ve seen tied right in with these peacock tartan colors. They could be easily folded from peacock colored papers and used as table decorations, on the pew ends, possibly in larger floral arrangements, even tiny ones in the bridal bouquets.


photo courtesy Morgue Files, sideshowmom photographer

Flowers For Those Wild Peacock Colors

Scottish Odyssey Tartan

• Bells of Ireland
  
  Bells of Ireland image courtesy Burpee Seed Company

  Incidentally, W. Altee Burpee founded the Burpee Seed Company in 1876. He was of Scottish stock, via New Brunswick.

• Forget-Me-Not
  
  Forget-Me-Not image courtesy Wikipedia

• Bluebells
  
  Virginia Bluebells image courtesy Wikipedia

• Carnations
  
  Blue and White Carnations image courtesy Clipart

• Columbine
  
  Columbine image courtesy Freefoto

• Delphinium
  
  Blue Delphinium image courtesy Flicker, IanBCNorth

• Hops
  
  Hops image courtesy Stock Exchange

• Iris
  
  Blue Moonlight Iris image courtesy Blue J Iris
  
  Arms Wide Open Iris image courtesy Blue J Iris

• Lily of the Valley
  
  Lily of the Valley image courtesy Morgue File

• Petunia
  
  Sky Blue Petunia image source unknown

• Plumbago
  
  Plumbago image source unknown

• Primula (Primrose)
  
  Blue Primula image courtesy Morgue File

• Queen Anne’s Lace
  
  Queen Anne’s Lace image courtesy Wikipedia

• Roses
  
  Blue Roses image courtesy Stock Exchange
  
  Bronze Roses courtesy Stock Exchangells

• Shamrock Blossoms
  
  Shamrock Blossom image courtesy Stock Exchange

• Snowball
  
  Green Snowball image courtesy Morgue File

• Tulip
  
  Blue Tulip image courtesy Wayside Gardens

• Violets
  
  Blue Sweet Violets image courtesy Wikipedia

• Waterlily
  
  Blue Waterlily image courtesy Morgue File

• White Heather
  
  White Heather image courtesy Clipart

• White Lilac
  
  White Lilac image courtesy Wikipedia

Don’t forget white tulips, narcissus, and roses; or the green hydrangea.

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