Doe and Hope

Description

Hand stitched in heavy cloth, this huge Union Jack stretching to eleven and a half feet long, is a very well made piece of patriotism, in fairly good condition. There are a handful of holes to note, surrounded by a gentle aged look, which is nothing but desirable in most cases. There is also a hooped hem present with corded rope running through it and a toggle to one end.

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.

Vintage Union Jacks are very sought after at this moment in time and this is an unusually large vintage example, it is quite simply enormous, and yet you can still feel it silently whispering its own rich history and that of the kingdom it represents, each time it is caught by a gust of wind.