OBVERSE
OBVERSE

OBVERSE

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

Acquisition Photo

ZFC0414

Italy, Siena, Eagle Contrada flag 19th Century

Sub-collection: de Young Museum

Eagle Contrada flag from Siena, Italy dating from sometime before 1887.
This Contrada Palio flag was formerly part of the collection of the M.H. de Young Museum. Founded in 1895 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum was San Francisco's first museum. It was a great success from its opening and has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of the city and a cherished destination for millions of residents and visitors to the region for over 100 years.

Michael Henry de Young, 1849-1925, was an American journalist and businessman who owned and published the San Francisco Chronicle. He used his wealth to further his eclectic tastes and accumulated a collection of immense variety featuring such diverse objects such as sculptures, paintings, flags, polished tree slabs, paintings, objet d'art, jewellery, a door reputedly from Newgate Prison, birds' eggs, handcuffs and thumbscrews, and a collection of knives and forks.

As San Francisco's premier repository the de Young Museum came to house a number of flags. However, little is known about the history or acquisition of this flag by de Young.

This flag was used by the Eagle Contrada (district) in the city of Siena. The eagle symbol was originally derived from the Marescotte family coat of arms. In its present form, however, it refers to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. In 1536 he granted use of the name "Noble Contrada" and of the imperial eagle -- i.e. a two-headed eagle with sceptre and orb on a gold background.

The principal color (gold or yellow, which are the same in heraldry) is always augmented by blue and black. The design of the flag is different every year, although the symbols are constant. In 1887 King Humbert I of Italy granted the contrada the right to show his cipher ("UI") on the eagle. Since it is missing in this flag from the De Young Museum Collection, this suggests the flag predates 1887. The small shields need further research for identification.See ZFC 0225 and ZFC0226 for other Palio flags.

The staff of this flag is item ZFC1482 in the De Young Museum collection.

ZFC Significant Flag
Item is Framed

Provenance:
• Made in Siena, Italy.
• Acquired by Michael Henry de Young in Europe.
• Conveyed to de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA.
• Sold via Butterfield & Butterfield Auctions in San Francisco, CA, to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 1997.


Sources:



History of the de Young Museum, de Young, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 17 November 2011, From: http://deyoung.famsf.org/about/history-de-young-museum

THE PALIO HORSE RACE, ilpalio.org, 17 November, 2011 From: http://www.ilpalio.org/palioenglish.htm

Contrade of Siena, Wikipedia, 17 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrade_of_Siena

Palio di Siena, Wikipedia, 17 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection





Hoist & Fly

Width of Hoist 61.5
Length of Fly 67

Frame

Is it framed? yes
Frame Height 64
Frame Length 69

Stars

How are the stars embeded? Sewn
Are there stars on obverse? no
Are there stars on reverse? no

Stripes

Color of Top Stripe Red
Color of Bottom Stripe Red
Has a Blood Stripe? no

Crest/Emblem

Description of Crest/Emblem 64.25 x 69.75 Are the framed dimensions. On a gold background with 2 blue (sky) top, bottom and fly edge. Upper hoist corner stylized blue triangle with yellow serrated edge. A stripe is centered in gold field. Golden yellow and brown double headed eagle bearing a scepter (left claw) and an orb (rt claw). Above the eagle is a stylized crown and three gold bizzants or balls. . The crown has trefoil points. Crown is topped by a red Christian Cross Botine. In the upper hoist corner is a papal coat of arms bearing cross keys and bishop mitre. Lower flag corner coat of arms.25 black and white. Lower fly coats of arms is white with blue diagonal bend with 3 old quatrefoils. The flag is encapsulated in a frame.

Nationality

Nation Represented Italy

Fabric

Fabric Silk
Comments on Fabric Silk with some wool for appliqué.

Stitching

Stitching Hand

Attachment

Comments on Method of Attachmen 3 Silk Ties. Golden Yellow.
Method of Attachment Ties

Documentation

Documents
All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings
All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Research Documents
All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Public Copy & Signs
All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition

Condition Good
Displayable yes