U.S. Trapunto Banner With Naval Symbols.

U.S. Trapunto Banner With Naval Symbols.
This souvenir trapunto features U.S. flags, an anchor, a life-preserver and two fierce-looking Chinese Dragons. The eagle is attacking one of the dragons, suggesting that this piece dates from 1900 and the suppression of the Boxers in Peking.

Made in Yokohama, Japan (circa 1910) by local artisans for visiting U.S. military men from the "Great White Fleet". This practice believed to have been from the period between the 1890's to the early 1930s.

The Trapunto technique consists of adding padding behind a piece of silk to which elaborate designs are embroidered to form a three-dimensional image. Patriotic symbols were a common theme for such items. Many were made and sold by local artisans in Yokohama, Japan, in the first decades of the 20th century. Their market included visiting naval officers and men from America's "Great White Fleet," which was circumnavigating the globe to show the flag to foreign countries. The practice of selling trapuntos is believed to have started in the 1890s or even earlier and it continued until at least the early 1930s. Similar embroidery, made in Japan and other East Asian countries after the Second World War, was often applied to silk or leather jackets.

Two fierce-looking dragons appear in this trapunto composition. The fact that one is being attacked by the eagle suggests that this particular trapunto may date from 1900 or shortly thereafter. That year the United States - with other countries - suppressed the Chinese militant secret society, known as "Boxers." This was known as the Boxer Rebellion which occurred during the presidency of William McKinley. (Taken from Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006.)

The important pictured piece is on a black silk background showing two interlocking U.S. flags in red, white and blue silk thread. The top flag has 42 stars while the lower flag has 32 stars visible. A U.S. shield with 13 stars overlaps the two flags. On the left is a red streamer with the motto, "E Pluribus Unum." The flags rest on an anchor in metallic thread. A white silk ring with cord and red stripe (lifesaver) rests on the lower part of the anchor. As previously mentioned, a fierce-looking dragon is placed on each side of the rendition. The dragon on the left is done in metallic thread. On the far right, an eagle in gray silk thread is partially glued to the black silk. The backing of the eagle is paper with Chinese and Japanese characters in print. The eagle has a glass insert for the eye. Framed (outside dimensions 40 x 30).

Compare with other Trapuntos
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Exhibition History
Moraga Room Flag Label - 2003
(ZFC0150)
Trapunto Banner With U.S. Symbols

Second Presidio Exhibit
(ZFC0150)
2003 - Gallery I
Trapunto with U.S. Symbols

War & Dissent
The US in the Philippines 1898-1915
October 22, 2008 to February 22, 2009
At the Presidio of San Francisco, Officers Club Exhibition Hall
50 Moraga Ave,
San Francisco, CA

Publication History:
Madaus, Howard M., Dr. Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 111.

Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0150) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Delivered to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House by Marion Butterwick from Verna Pearthree (now-deceased) in 1989.

ZFC Important Flag
Item is Framed

Sources:

---

Mastai, Boleslaw and Marie-Louise d'Otrange, The Stars and Stripes. Alfred A. Knopf. New York, 1973, pp. 92-96

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p.111

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	34
Length of Fly	24

Stripes
Size of Hoist	0.5

Frame
Is it framed?	yes
Frame Height	24
Frame Length	36

Stars
Are there stars on obverse?	no
Are there stars on reverse?	no

Stripes
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Nationality
Nation Represented	United States

Fabric
Fabric	Silk

Stitching
Stitching	Hand

Thread
Thread Material	Cotton

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Missing

Documentation
Documents
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition
Condition	Bad
Damage	Torned out
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	The date is 1890 due to the 42 star flag

Exhibits

Exhibition Copy

MORAGA ROOM FLAG LABEL - 2003 TRAPUNTO BANNER WITH U.S. SYMBOLS Date: About 1890-1910 Medium: Silk; hand-sewn Comment: The Trapunto technique consists of adding padding behind a piece of silk to which elaborate designs are embroidered to form a three-dimensional image. Patriotic symbols were a common theme for such items. Many were made and sold by local artisans in Yokohama, Japan, in the first decades of the 20th century. Their market included visiting naval officers and men from America's "Great White Fleet," which was circumnavigating the globe to show the flag to foreign countries. The practice of selling trapuntos is believed to have started in the 1890s or even earlier and it continued until at least the early 1930s. Similar embroidery, made in Japan and other East Asian countries after the Second World War, was often applied to silk or leather jackets. Some information about trapunto and other samples are to be found at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. This example, on a black silk background, shows two interlocking U.S. flags in red, white, and blue silk thread. The top flag has 42 stars; of the lower flag, only 32 stars are visible. An American shield with 13 stars overlaps the two flags, while a red streamer bears the national motto, "E Pluribus Unum." A white silk ring representing a lifesaver rests on an anchor, which, like one of the dragons, is rendered in metallic thread. The eagle has a glass eye, another technique to add realism to the image. Two fierce-looking dragons appear in this composition. The fact that the eagle is attacking one suggests that this particular trapunto may date from 1900 or shortly thereafter. That year, the United States and Japan (with other countries) suppressed Chinese extremists who had attacked foreigners in what is known as the Boxer Rebellion. The symbolism behind the American icon overcoming the quintessential Chinese one would have appealed to both Japanese trapunto makers and U.S. buyers of that period. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0150) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Delivered to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House by Marion Butterwick from Verna Pearthree (now-deceased) in 1989. Second Presidio Exhibit 2003 - Gallery I Trapunto with U.S. Symbols Date: About 1890-1910 Medium: Silk hand-sewn Comment: The trapunto technique consists of adding padding behind a piece of silk to which elaborate designs are embroidered to form a three-dimensional image. Patriotic symbols were a common theme for such items. Many were made and sold by local artisans in Yokohama, Japan, in the first decades of the 20th century. Their market included visiting naval officers and men from America's "Great White Fleet," which was circumnavigating the globe to show the flag to foreign countries. The practice of selling trapuntos is, however, believed to have started in the 1890s or even earlier and it continued until at least the early 1930s. Similar embroidery, made in Japan and other East Asian countries after the Second World War, was often applied to silk or leather jackets. Some information about trapunto and other samples may be found at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Two fierce-looking dragons appear in this composition. The fact that the eagle is attacking one suggests that this particular trapunto may date from 1900 or shortly thereafter. That year, the United States and Japan, along with other countries, suppressed Chinese extremists who had attacked foreigners in what is known as the Boxer Rebellion. Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection (ZFC0150) in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD, which acquired it in 1989 through Marion Butterwick from Verna Pearthree (deceased). War & Dissent The US in the Philippines 1898-1915 October 22, 2008 to February 22, 2009 At the Presidio of San Francisco, Officers Club Exhibition Hall 50 Moraga Ave, San Francisco, CA

Publications

Publication Copy

Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD, which acquired it in 1989 through Marion Butterwick from Verna Pearthree (deceased.) ZFC0150. Madaus, Howard M., Dr. Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 111. Trapunto with U.S. Symbols A trapunto is an ornately embroidered commemorative fabric. The trapunto technique consists of adding padding behind a piece of silk to which elaborate designs are embroidered to form a three-dimensional image. Patriotic symbols were a common theme for such items. Many were made and sold by the George Washington Co. in Yokohama, Japan, in late 19th and early decades of the 20th century. Their market included visiting naval officers and men from Americas Great White Fleet, which was circumnavigating the globe to show the flag to foreign countries. Two fierce-looking dragons appear in this trap unto composition below. The fact that the eagle is attacking one suggests that this particular trapunto may date from 1900 or shortly thereafter. That year the United States with other countries suppressed the Chinese militant secret society, known as Boxers. This was known as the Boxer Rebellion, which occurred during the presidency of William McKinley. Date: About 1900 1910 Size: 24" wide x 34" long Medium: Silk; hand-sewn An important artifact from the Star Spangled Banner Flag House Collection.