Doe and Hope

Description

Hand stitched in heavy soft wool and bunting cloth, this appliqué Union Jack is a very well made piece of patriotism, surviving from the second quarter of the twentieth century, possibly being a WWII period flag.

The colours are still very vivid and there are no holes or tears. There is the usual hemmed sleeve for which one runs a rope through, though there aren’t any brass fitments or toggles present.

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.

Hugely popular, this Union Jack is in a desirable condition, size and age bracket and therefore is a rather hot commodity.