Huge State Service Flag 288x178”

[Steve]

Hi guys,

and thanks in advance.

I've found this huge State Service Flag, measuring 288 x 178 inches: do you think it's an original, or it's too big to be true?
It has some repairs here and there, but that wouldn't be a problem for me as long as the piece is original.
No markings appear on the fabric.

Thank you very much,
best,
Steve.

[Steve]

UPGRADE to my previous post:



A detail of the smaller swastika, placed under the eagle: enlarging the picture you will notice an irregularity of the swastika edge.

What do you think? Hand-painted?


The irregularity in the black tint distribution in previous pictures also gave me this idea.


Thanks again!
Best,
Steve.

[raz]

Looks good to me . The snap ring does not belong on it though . The swivel connector is period to it . That is a big one . Hopefully you will get more opinions .

[Steve]

Hi Raz.

Thank you very much for your detailed analysis. Yes, that's really big. I had a pair of purple velvet theater curtains in past, those ones used to open and close the scenes, I'd say of this same size, and they were quite difficult to handle, and also to storage.

Take care,
All the best.
Steve.

[Saladin]

Hello Steve,
the flag looks like a nice original piece.
I'm not too sure about it being hand painted. IMO that's just the printing bleeding in to the fabric.
I have a standard sized DDAC pennant here that displays a similar printing effect as your flag.



I particularly like the reinforcing patches on the corners of your flag..very typical.

All the best
Doug

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Steve, good original item.

Cheers, Ade.

[Steve]

Hi Doug.

Thank you very much for sharing this example. Very interesting.

As you suggested, probably that printing effect may have been a consequence of long exposure to outdoor conditions. I'm wondering where such a big flag may have been issued. Probably, on a high tonnage cargo vessel.

All the best also to you.
Steve.

[Steve]

Hi Ade,

Thank you very much for your feedback.
Really appreciated.

Best,
Steve.

[Saladin]

Hello Steve.
I’m not too sure it would be flown on a large state owned merchant ship.
I haven’t seen an example that was ship borne but I would have thought the whip end of the flag would have been heavily reinforced in much the same way the KM Reichskriegs flags were.
I would have thought that it would have been flown on a large building
Just my opinion. It is very nice.
All the best
Doug

[Steve]

Hi Doug. Thank you very much. That's a very interesting observation. I will soon post a new thread about a Reich Service Flag (smaller than this, but still quite wide) that I've recently acquired, and about which I have some doubts. One of these doubts come right from the absence of these heavily reinforced parts, that as you just said, are visible on the KM Reichskriegs flags.

Thanks again,
All the best,
Steve.