This page is part of an mirror of © FOTW Flags Of The World website
This website is devoted to the science of vexillology (the study of flags).
All illustrations presented on this website serve exclusively to provide information in the context of vexillology.
The authors and hosts of this site explicitly distance themselfes from any symbols of unconstitutional organizations that may be depicted here.
Last modified: 2023-06-03 by 
zachary harden
Keywords: indonesia | book of all kingdoms | java | taprobana |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
See also:
![[Flag of Java?]](../images/i/id-sj14f.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 16 March 2010
The 85th flag mentioned and illustrated in the
Book of All Kingdoms is attributed to
Taprobana / Java which in the
Halkyut Society edition is identified as Sumatra and Java, noting that with
Taprobana was usually meant Ceylon instead. It is depicted in the
2005 Spanish illustrated transcription as a
red
flag with a thin horizontal yellow stripe (no visible black lining) with black
lettering "Spqb" on it (with tails sticking out), the flag in the ogival default
shape of this source. However, this illustration, identical to flag #29 (Rome),
was inserted mistakenly and should be noted as an error exclusive to
Book of All Kingdoms (and
its eventual derivatives). The correct image would have been the white flag with
yellow vertical stripe, like the previous and next ones, and as described in the
text. The anonymous author of
Book of All Kingdoms describes the flag
thus: "E el rey dende á por señales un pendón de plata con un bastón de oro tal."
(="The King has for his device a white flag with a gold wand", as translated in
the
Halkyut Society edition.)
António Martins-Tuválkin,10 December 2007
![[Flag of Java?]](../images/i/id-jv14f.gif)
image by Eugene Ipavec, 9 February 2010
The 87th flag mentioned and illustrated in the Book of All Kingdoms is attributed to Java, regardless of the fact that a previous flag (the 85th) was also attributed (in part) to Java. This as depicted in the 2005 Spanish illustrated transcription, an empty flag outline (in the ogival default shape of this source), as said shorter than the other such designs (37th, 39th, 45th, and 81st). The edge of the flag is dashed, so it doesn’t seem to be a plain white flag. I have no idea where this comes from, as the text mentions an image.
The anonymous author of
Book of All Kingdoms describes the flag
thus: "adoran al emperador de Catayo, cuyos vasallos son e traen su imagen en
los pendones d’esta manera." (="they adore the Emperor of Cathay, whose image
they have on their flags", as translated in the
Halkyut Society edition.)
The 1912 English illustrated edition [Halkyut Society edition]
doesn’t show a flag for this, but references as "75 Java (S)" a shield from the
manuscript "S" [f0fXXs] displaying a scene much like the description of the flag
of China (88th in
Book of All Kingdoms, q.v.), with a seated
emperor.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 December 2007
Advertisement from our sponsor:
Bei Fahnenversand.de erhalten Sie eine Vielzahl an hochwertigen Flaggen, Pins und Aufnähern, zum Beispiel:
