The Angels' Share (1494 Guardians)
An ethereal tartan print — whisky’s golden mystery woven with the subtle light of guardian angels.
LIMITED EDITION FRAMED PRINT
MEDIUM A2 SIZE
LIGHT OAK WOOD FRAME AND BLACK MOUNT
1,494 COPIES WORLDWIDE
Crafted in Arbroath, Scotland by Steven Patrick Sim (The Tartan Artisan®), The Angels’ Share® pays tribute to Scotch whisky's sacred loss — the 2% that silently ascends from oak during maturation, forever called “the angels’ share.”
This edition marks whisky's documented birth in 1494, captured in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls: “To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, VIII bolls of malt to make aquavitae.” Here, that historic moment lives as woven geometry — history transformed into threads that catch and hold celestial light.
The poem that appears on the fine-art print —
"The Angels' Share"
by Steven Patrick Sim
The Tartan Artisan
By royal word to Friar Cor,
eight bolls were cast to fire and lore;
Through oak rose Water, pure and rare,
the angels took their golden share.
Now in the tartan's threads they stay,
woven spirits Light our way.
A choir of guardians evermore
— fourteen hundred ninety-four.
A2 Edition – The Accompanying Poem Sheet
Each A2 edition of The Angel’s Share® includes its own poem sheet on textured 135gsm “Diamond White Fine Linen” paper, supplied with your numbered print and certificate. It unfolds the opening verse into an expansive meditation on Scotch whisky’s origins, the angels’ share, and how that story weaves into the tartan’s geometry.
The sheet further reveals:
- The full poem, extending beyond the printed verse
- The highlighted angelic symbol that appeared organically in the weave
- The authentic Latin quote from the Exchequer Rolls (1494), plus precise English translation, of Friar Cor’s royal commission
At a glance:
- A2 fine-art giclée print on Hahnemühle Bamboo Paper (warm natural tone, archival 290gsm)
- The Angels’ Share Tartan — whisky’s alchemy encoded in precise threads (40% ABV, 2% evaporation)
- Limited A2 “Guardians Edition” — 1,494 medium sized prints worldwide, each numbered and certified
- Framed in light oak wood with black museum mount — elegant, ready-to-hang
- Designed in Arbroath, Scotland, (the 'home of tartan'), and fulfilled locally in the UK, EU or US
- Made to order, securely packaged and shipped worldwide
Print size
A2 – 420 × 594 mm (16.5 × 23.4 in)
This A2 Guardians Edition is offered at £149.40 — a direct tribute to 1494, the year whisky first entered the record books.
Shipping is charged separately (P+P) and is calculated at checkout.
...or read on to learn more
The meaning behind The Angels’ Share
The Angels’ Share Tartan was designed to carry the warmth of the spirit — amber, gold, and the deep tones of oak — but also to hold a presence: the “angels’ share” itself, the 2% of whisky that quietly evaporates through the cask as it matures.
Whisky folk have long spoken of that loss with reverence. In this tartan, that reverence is not just told — it’s woven into the cloth. The angels appear in the geometry of the sett: twin ochre lines through oak brown trace the flow of vapour; white and golden threads hint at wings; and angelic patterns come to life when the weave meets shifting light. Each framed work holds its own “guardian” in the weave.
The original image was captured by the tartan’s designer, Steven Patrick Sim, from a hand‑fringed length of authentic Lochcarron 16oz Strome tartan — pure‑wool cloth woven in Scotland. Drawn almost irresistibly to a single quiet pivot in the weave, he photographed and enlarged that point as an exploded view, so the original fabric — and the unseen force behind that moment — live on in every framed print in the edition.
On each limited-edition print, the bold “Guardian Angel” number at the foot of the piece invites you to see a single presence in the weave — one guardian among the 1494.
“In whisky, the Angels’ Share disappears. In this tartan, it remains — held gently in the threads.”
Seven colours — one story
Seven colours carry Scotch’s complete narrative: from water and fire to oak and angels — all captured in woven light.
- Blue: pure Scottish water — the beginning of every dram
- Indigo: heat, flame, and coal-fired tradition — the still at work
- Brown: oak casks and aged depth — time, containment, maturation
- Amber: the whisky itself — 40 threads for 40% ABV
- Ochre: yeast and fermentation — plus twin lines echoing the Angels’ Share
- Yellow: golden barley harvest — ripened grain, sunlit earth that starts the journey
- White: the angelic light in the weave
Smoke & earth tones between the colours: peat, malt, and the grounded character of Scotland
A2 fine art on Bamboo paper
The Angels’ Share A2 Guardians Edition derives from the artist's original design, and is a high-resolution photographic fine-art print of authentic Lochcarron heavyweight Strome tartan, captured on the bias to reveal depth in every thread. At A2 scale, it becomes a refined piece that rewards close viewing — where geometry, colour, and light gently suggest a quiet angelic presence.
- Warm tone: Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, with a subtle pale yellow tint to enhance its whisky-like ethereal warmth, carries a natural off-white that makes the tartan's whites pop against amber, oak, and golden light.
- Archival quality: Crafted for longevity and faithful colour reproduction.
- Organic character: A subtle heritage feel, ideal for a whisky‑inspired piece.
Delivered framed and ready to hang
This medium A2 edition is finished in light-oak with a black museum mount, and ideal for whisky cabinets, tasting rooms, and more intimate spaces — or as a meaningful gift for someone who appreciates Scotland’s craft and story.
- Premium Nielsen frame: Nielsen Quadrum® gallery-standard oak frame (FSC®-certified wood), with 3mm shatter-resistant acrylic glazing for safe worldwide shipping. Acrylic can be swapped for glass by your local framer if preferred.
- Secure backing: Durable hardboard with central sawtooth hanger for easy wall mounting, secured by rotating metal clips on the sides that lock artwork firmly in place — arrives perfectly level and display-ready.
Limited edition & certification
A total of 1,494 prints will exist in this edition. Each honouring 1494, when whisky was first recorded in Scotland — and each inviting the same quiet question: is there something more in the weave than pattern and colour alone?
- Edition: A2 “Guardians Edition” — 1,494 worldwide
- Certification: Numbered print and matching Signed Certificate of Authenticity
- Symbolism: Certificate includes the angelic geometry drawn from the tartan
- Creator: Steven Patrick Sim (The Tartan Artisan®), Arbroath, Scotland— the home of tartan
The certificate bears the edition number, the angelic motif, and the artist’s printed signature. It is accompanied by a supporting poem sheet that completes the four-verse poem (with the first verse appearing on the limited-edition print itself) and features the full 1494 Exchequer Rolls quote, offering complete provenance for collectors.
Local fulfilment — faster, duty-free delivery
- Made closer to home: Printed, framed and shipped from the USA, UK or EU depending on your address
- Protective shipping: Packed for safe transit to arrive in pristine condition
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Production time:
Framed Prints Delivery Times
(Production: 10 working days + shipping)
UK: 11–12 working days
US: 13–17 working days
EU: 11–14 working days
Holidays add 2–3 days
- SHIPPING: Charged separately (P+P) and calculated at checkout
Why collectors choose this edition
- Whisky heritage, woven: A Scottish story told in light, thread and pattern — from water and grain to cask and angelic vapour
- A presence in the sett: A design that suggests wings, glowing ether, and a watchful, quiet mystery in the weave
- Easy to place: A2 suits smaller walls, shelves, and personal spaces — ideal for close viewing, and gifting
- Guardians Edition: Numercacy by design — 1,494 prints worldwide, tied to whisky’s 1494 written origin
- Complete provenance: Artwork, certificate with angelic symbol, and a supporting poem/provenance sheet with the Exchequer Rolls quotation
There be angels in the weave
Each of these 1494 A2 Guardians Edition prints holds its own angel — a silent guardian where the story of Scotch whisky meets something quietly eternal.
For customers seeking the ultimate statement piece — also available as an A1 framed edition:
The A1 framed Guardians Edition is the largest, most immersive way to experience The Angels’ Share — framed in light-oak with a black museum grade mount, limited to 149 Angels worldwide and offered with free worldwide delivery.
View The Angels’ Share — A1 Framed Edition (149 prints)
Discover the story in the threads
Size, Pricing & How to Order
This edition is offered in one A2 format. Choose your quantity and click Add to cart. Your print will be produced to order and shipped securely. Shipping is calculated at checkout (P+P).
| Print size | Approx. dimensions | Price |
|---|---|---|
| A2 – Guardians Edition (Framed) | Approx. 42 × 59.4 cm (16.5" × 23.4") | £149.40 |
Visible image area:
~36 × 50 cm within the mount. Final framed size: ~48 × 64 cm (includes 16mm frame face, 25mm depth).
To purchase, choose your quantity and click Add to cart. Your artwork will be produced to order and shipped securely. Shipping (P+P) is calculated at checkout.
If you have a discount code, please enter it at checkout before completing your order.
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