East African Flag Staff - Abushiri Revolt.
This wooden flagstaff and spear finial along with small handmade cotton flag (ZFC0201) was gifted to San Francisco's de Young museum by Hermann Schussler on 5 April 1919. The accession records indicate that it was, "- carried by Mohammedan Swahilis at the insurrection at Kilwa, East Africa."

This is doubtless a reference to the Abushiri Revolt of 1888 - 1889 when Arab and Swahili tribesmen, at Kilwa in German East Africa, rebelled against the German colonial rule. The revolt quickly spread along the coast as the rebels killed or expelled German officials. The insurrection was quickly put down by the Imperial German Marines with British help.

Strict Muslims believe that it is improper to represent living beings. Therefore it has been traditional for Islamic flags, like then one accompanying this staff, to bear only geometric patterns and/or inscriptions. This is also encouraged by the emphasis on the Koran and Haddith (Traditions), which are sources of guidance for good Muslims. It is not surprising, therefore, to find extensive inscriptions on Muslim flags. Islamic societies exist from the Atlantic coast in northwest Africa through the Near East to the Indonesian archipelago.
The donor, Herman Schussler (1842-1919) was a German water engineer who worked all over the globe, and presumably could have acquired this flag in German East Africa before gifting it to de Young. . He is perhaps most famous for his work on both the Comstock water systems of Virginia City in Nevada, and for his remarkable water system for San Francisco, CA, the Crystal Springs Reservoir.
Flagstaffs rarely survive in flag collections. There is nothing remarkable about this one except its source and use; very few flags and staffs from the Abushiri Revolt survive in any collection.

Provenance - Acquired at auction for Butterfields and Butterfields auction of the de Young museum collection deaccession n 1997.

ZFC Significant Flag

Provenance:
• Made in Kilwa, in German East Africa during Abushiri Revolt of 1888 - 1889.
• Acquired in Kilwa, German East Africa by Herman Schussler.
• Gifted to de Young Museum, 1919.
• Sold via Butterfield & Butterfield Auctions, SF, CA, to the Zaricor Flag Collection, 1997


Sources:


History of the de Young Museum, de Young, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 30 November 2011:
http://deyoung.famsf.org/about/history-de-young-museum

Hermann Schüssler, Wikipedia, 30 November 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Schussler

Herman Schussler and the Comstock Water System, On Line Nevada, 18 November 2011, from:
http://onlinenevada.org/herman_schussler_and_the_comstock_water_system

Abushiri Revolt, Wikipedia, 30 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abushiri_Revolt

Abushiri ibn Salim al-Harthi, Wikipedia, 30 November 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abushiri_ibn_Salim_al-Harthi

Image Credits:
Zaricor Flag Collection