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Encyclopaedia of the North East

V - Vase, Littlejohn

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A large blue manuscript capital V with a trophy and a large open book.
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Vase, Littlejohn 1905 Shinty trophy for annual competition among the Scottish universities; a reduced copy of the marble Warwick Vase which was found in Italy in 1770. 

In 1905 Alexander Littlejohn approached the Aberdeen University Athletic Club and offered them a challenge vase to be used particularly for continuing the interest in the Ancient Celtic Game of Shinty. The AUAC naturally accepted this stockbroker's friendly offer, but when the trophy arrived they were stunned. It was a sensational piece of work.
Roger Hutchinson 14/06/1991 West Highland Free Press 

Shinty is one of the fastest and most exciting of games - also one of the oldest and most influential in the world of sport. Shinty (Camanachd) known as Hurling in Ireland, and Shinny in Canada is the fore-runner of Ice-Hockey. First introduced into the Scottish Highlands some 1500 years ago, it has been taken by Scots all over the world. 
The students of Aberdeen have a legitimate claim to have been the first to lay down a properly documented set of Rules with a constitution, in 1861.
Hugh Dan MacLennan 1983 Shinty

Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase. A large silver trophy decorated with foliage, lions and the heads of bearded men.

The Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase.

ABDUA:64510

Album. A large book bound in red leather. The book is open on the first pages. On the left page is an illustration of shinty sticks with ribbons and scrolls. The right page is richly decorated with colour illustrations of a ship, crossed swords, the University of Aberdeen's coat of arms, the Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase, an elderly white man in a black gown and an another in highland dress, King's College, a student in a red gown, and Marischal College. Colourful gilded borders of knotwork border the illustrations.

Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase Album.

ABDUA:63350

Page from the Littlejohn of Invercharron Challenge Vase album. The page has a richly coloured and gilded knotwork border, and is titled Camanachd or Shinty in calligraphic writing with decorated capitals surrounded by ivy. The page's text describes the history of shinty.

A page from the album describing the history of shinty.

Aberdeen University Shinty Team 1920-21. Thirteen young men in sports clothing with shinty sticks posed for a team photograph.

The university shinty team, 1920-21.

V - Vase, Littlejohn