Framed Hand Sewn Patriotic Sham Made from a Flag and Ship Ribbons

This amazing flag quilt with 48 hand quilted stars is in amazing condition. It is a one of a kind flag quilt. We sold this quilt over 21 years ago and got it back from the original b...

This monumental 48 star flag pillow is in great in great condition and has a red cotton linen pillow. The big pillow id down and feather fill.

Folky hand crafted flag quilt from the mid west is signed and dated.Signed by the maker : Janette Gronvold June 2011 to honor all our past and present veterans.Amazing provenance !!!...

Signed B. Donahue and dated 1969 Patriotic Flag painting. On the left side a cemetery honoring fallen heroes in war. To the Right of the flag is a seemi...

Nicely faded American flag quilt. Excellent hand stitched dancing Folk Art stars. Skilled quilting, a nice graphic large-scale wall hanging. White ...

42 HAND-SEWN STARS ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH A TWO-TONE, DUSTY BLUE CANTON, REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF WASHINGTON STATE, MONTANA, AND THE DAKOTAS, NEVER AN OFFICIAL STAR COUNT, ...

OUTSTANDING, 13 STAR, ANTIQUE AMERICAN PRIVATE YACHT ENSIGN WITH GREAT FOLK QUALITIES THAT INCLUDE AN UNUSUALLY WIDE ANCHOR AND A DECIDEDLY LOPSIDED RING OF 13 STARS; MADE DURING THE 2ND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY; ITS DEVICE HAND-SEWN AND SINGLE-APPLIQUÉD Private yacht ensigns were approved American signals for maritime use that allowed pleasure boats to bypass customs. Though the legislation that approved them was adopted prior to 1850, almost all such flags that one will encounter were sewn by electric machine and made during the 20th century. The unusual gems among surviving examples are those that are earlier and include hand-sewn elements. Even more rare are a select few with atypical graphics. Barely any fall into both of these categories at once. Take note of the anchor on this particular flag, wide a long horizontal crossbar (stock) that contributes to uncommonly wide stance. Set within a ring of stars that is decidedly lopsided, the result is as bold as it is endearingly whimsical—two of the best qualities in American folk art, a category in which this particular example can be filed. While I have owned 13 star private yacht flags that have displayed star and canted anchor devices that were somewhat larger and/or bolder than typical, I cannot recall any that were so graphically intriguing as this one. Brief History of Private Yacht Ensigns: The medallion configuration, 13-star, 13-stripe flag, with a canted center anchor was entered into official use in 1848, following an act of Congress, that made it the official signal for U.S. pleasure sailing vessels. The need for such a flag arose with the popularity of boating as a pastime for well-to-do Americans, and as a competitive sport, in addition to its longstanding utilitarian role as a vehicle of trade. In early America, all boats were subject to customs searches at every port. Without modern income tax, the federal government derived its revenues mostly from tariffs, so an accounting of foreign goods on ships was a critical venture. As yachting for pleasure became more prevalent, however, more and more time was spent searching boats that had no such inventory, wasting time for both customs officials and wealthy ship owners. John Cox Stevens, a former president of the Jockey Club and future founder of the Union League Club, became the New York Yacht Club’s Commodore upon its founding in 1845. In 1847 he approached the secretary of the treasury and suggested that something be done to streamline the customs process for non-trade vessels. In 1848, legislation passed Congress requiring registration of these boats, which could then fly the “American Yachting Signal” to bypass customs. This remained on the books until the 1980’s, when the 1848 legislation was revoked, but the use of flags in this design for decorative function continues to this day. 13 star flags have been flown throughout our nation’s history for a variety of purposes. In addition to their use on private yachts, they were hoisted at patriotic events, including Lafayette’s final visit in 1824-25, the celebration of the nation’s centennial in 1876, and the sesquicentennial in 1926. They were displayed during the Civil War, to reference past struggles for American liberty and victory over oppression, and were used by 19th century politicians while campaigning for the same reason. The U.S. Navy used the 13 star count on small boats until 1916, because it was easier to discern fewer stars at a distance on a small flag. Commercial flag-makers mirrored this practice and some private ships flew 13 star flags during the same period as the Navy. Construction: The stars and anchor are made of cotton, hand-sewn, and single-appliquéd. This means that they were applied to one side of the canton, then the blue fabric was cut from behind each star, folded over, and under-hemmed, so that one star could be viewed on both sides of the flag. I always find single-appliquéd stars more interesting, not only because they are evidence of a more difficult level of seam-work and stitching, but also because they are more visually intriguing. The two visible rows of hand-stitching emphasize their hand-sewn construction. For these reasons, single-appliquéd stars often appeal to connoisseurs of early American textiles...

RARE AND BEAUTIFUL 38 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG, AN INDIAN WARS PERIOD FLANK GUIDON OF THE 4th U.S. INFANTRY, WITH A MEDALLION CONFIGURATION SURROUNDING THE NUMERAL “4,” AND EXTRAORDINARY PRESENTATION FROM LEGITIMATE USE; REFLECTS THE PERIOD WHEN COLORADO WAS THE MOST RECENT STATE TO JOIN THE UNION, circa 1876-1889: 38 star flank guidon of the Indian Wars period, made of silk, with 38 embroidered, silk stars surrounding an embroidered numeral “4”. The stars are arranged in a beautiful, double wreath configuration, with a flanking star in each corner. Expertly hand-sewn throughout, with tiny stitches, the striped field and canton were rolled over, around a cotton lining, to form an open sleeve. The “4” identifies the intended unit as the 4th U.S. Infantry. Infantry guidons of this sort were attached to a wooden staff, inserted through the sleeve and, in this instance, affixed with metal tacks. The pole fit down into the barrel of a rifle or musket, which, when shouldered by a soldier, displayed the flag and marked the end of the flank. Two were typically carried, one each to the left and right. This helped in the formation of troops and was a visual aid for officers. Colorado became the 38th state on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation’s 100-year anniversary of independence. Per the Third Flag Act of 1818, stars were not officially added until the 4th of July following a state's addition. For this reason, 37 remained the official star count until July 4th, 1877. Flag-making was a competitive venture, however, and no one cared what was official, not even the military, where the matter of practicality generally outweighed flag protocol. As soon as it was suspected that a new state was coming, stars were added by the makers of flags, both public and private. Some would have begun adding a star for the 38th state before it even entered the Union, in the early part of 1876, and almost none would continue to produce 37 star flags, when their competitors were making 38’s. It is of interest to note that some flag-makers were actually producing flags in the 39 star count in 1876, especially in printed cotton examples (called parade flags or hand-wavers), to reflect the anticipated addition of two new states instead of one, though only Colorado came. No further states followed until 1889. Manufacture of 38 star flags would have ceased in the fall of that year, when four new states entered in a period of just a week-and-a-half. The numeric identification signifies the intended unit as the 4th U.S. Infantry. Interestingly enough, this regiment was particularly active in Colorado. One of its most notable actions involved a conflict with the Ute Indians. In September of 1879, Indian Agent N. C. Meeker, of the White River Agency (Colorado), became involved in a dispute with Northern Utes and requested assistance from the Army. In response, Major T. T. Thornburgh's column of some 200 men, including parts of the 5th Cavalry and 4th Infantry, set out from Fort Steele, Wyoming to assist. On September 29th, the force was attacked and besieged in the Red Canyon, by 300 to 400 Ute warriors. Thornburgh was killed in the melee. His command was finally relieved by elements of the 9th Cavalry, a Buffalo soldier...