A Very Large Quality Antique Appliqué Edwardian Period Union Jack Flag

Origin: British
Period: Early Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1910
Height: 52 inches
Width: 100 inches

Stretching to well over eight feet in length and hand stitched in heavy canvas cloth, this appliqué Union Jack is a very fine piece of patriotism, surviving from the Edwardian period making it an early survival. The original corded rope and hardwood toggle remain for pole attachment.

There is a smattering of old small sized holes across the flag, commensurate with age and giving it an aged look, the white now a beautiful ivory tone and the red and blue both softened. There is one very old patch repair to an ivory panel and there is silk present (giving us more clues to its date) to the hem.

The current design of the flag dates from the union of Ireland and Great Britain in 1801. When the first flag was introduced in 1606, it became known simply as "the British flag" or "the flag of Britain". The word "jack" was in use before 1600 to describe the maritime bow flag. One theory goes that for some years it would have been called just "the Jack", or "Jack flag", or "the King's Jack", but by 1674, while formally referred to as "His Majesty's Jack", it was commonly called the Union Jack, and this was officially acknowledged.

A flag of a particularly desirable size and age, and very much in demand today.