Philippines National Flag - Insurgent variant, Captured in Philippine American War.
This flag from the Philippines 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, and 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 associated with the American acquisition of the Philippines after the Spanish American War. This flag was an anonymous gift to de Young on October 9, 1911. It is a war trophy. In ancient Greece and Rome, military victories were often formally commemorated with a display of captured arms and standards and cultural objects, called war trophies. In the Middle Ages; the European wars of the 17th and 18th centuries; and during the Napoleonic Wars variations of this were also practiced wherein armies returning home would often display flags captured from the enemy in public buildings or churches. These were put on display in a public space as either a moral builder, an overt symbol of victory or as reminder of a past martial or naval accomplishment. In a church or place of worship they may serve as homage to Divinity for granting victory, or as a symbol of the power of the providence of God for their cause.

In the American Civil War official protocols were evolved for the disposition of captured colors. The act was considered worthy of decoration or promotion. More recently the World Wars saw the wholesale confiscation of enemy property, including flags. In the 20th century it became common for individual soldiers to return home with trophies and souvenirs, such as enemy flags.

After the Civil War, American soldiers were no less interested in war trophies; however the dominant foe, the Native American Indians, did not use flags. This changed when, during both the Spanish American & Philippine American wars, American soldiers once again prized enemy flags.

The possession of a captured enemy flag is often considered the ultimate war trophy; literally one has captured the flag. However, many of these are not actually captured on battle, or even battlefield pick-ups. They are flags encountered or acquired as the result of other activities; often rear echelon pieces acquired through purchase or trade.

Many Filipinos, including General Emilio Aguinaldo, struggled for the independence of their country beginning in 1896. However, no common national flag existed at that time. After the success of the Americans at the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, General Aguinaldo was hopeful that the American defeat of the Spanish would quickly lead to independence. The Philippine victory at the Battle of Alapan on May 28 led to the first display of the Philippine national flag, which had been designed by the rebel organization from their headquarters-in-exile in Hong Kong.

The independence of the Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed in Kawit, Cavite Province, on June 12, 1898. The flag was officially raised at that time and was subsequently hoisted in all liberated areas. The white triangle of the flag, a Masonic symbol, bore a yellow star in each angle and a golden sun in the center. The stars were chosen to symbolize the three major island groupings of the country Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. The eight rays on the sun were to recall the eight provinces where the struggle for independence had begun. The triangle itself was for equality. The red was said to stand for patriotism and valor and the blue for justice, truth, and peace.

This flag dates to circa 1898 and is in very good condition with only slightly faded cotton; it is machine-stitched. See also flags ZFC0337 and ZFC0206 in the De Young Museum collection.

ZFC Significant Flag

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