Vexillology

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Flag of the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques.

Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags. The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum and the suffix –ology, meaning "study of". The vexillum was a particular type of flag used by Roman legions during the classical era. Unlike most modern flags, which are suspended from a pole or mast along a vertical side, the square vexillum was suspended from a horizontal crossbar along its top side, which was attached to a spear.

The term was coined in 1957 by the American scholar Whitney Smith, the author of many books and articles on the subject. It was originally considered a sub-discipline of heraldry, and is still occasionally seen as such. It is sometimes considered a branch of semiotics. [1] It is formally defined in the FIAV (Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques) constitution as "the creation and development of a body of knowledge about flags of all types, their forms and functions, and of scientific theories and principles based on that knowledge." A person who studies flags is a vexillologist, and a person who designs flags is a vexillographer.

Every second year FIAV organizes the International Congress of Vexillology (ICV). The 2007 ICV was in Berlin, Germany; the 2009 ICV will be in Yokohama, Japan. Internet activity of vexillologists is centered on the Flags of the World website and mailing list.

1 Flag Identification Symbols (FIS)
2 Principles of flag design
3 Vexillologists
4 Vexillographers
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Flag Identification Symbols (FIS)

The Flag Identification System was created by Whitney Smith in his vexillologic books and adopted by FIAV.

The first row represents land use and the second sea use, each divided into Civil (private), Nation (state/government) and Military (war flag) use.

Usage	Private Use	Public Use	Military Use
Land Use	Civil Flag	State Flag	War Flag
Sea Use	Civil Ensign	State Ensign	War Ensign

There are 64 representing symbols that can describe the flag, including:

Text mode	Description	Usage
C/*	Civil Flag	by private persons on land
S/***	State Flag	by state institutions on land
W/*	War Flag	by military on land (army)
*/C	Civil Ensign	on private vessels (merchant ensign)
**/S*	State Ensign	on state owned vessels
*/W	War Ensign	by navy
CS/**	Civil and State Flag	by private persons and state on land
SW/**	State and War Flag	by state services and military on land
CSW/***	National Flag	for all purposes on land
***/CSW	National Ensign	for all purposes on vessels
CSW/CSW	National Flag and Ensign	for all purposes on land and sea

Other symbols are used to describe how a flag looks. The ones in general use are:

Normal or de jure version of flag, or obverse side
Design proposed but not officially adopted
Design is a reconstruction based on observations
Reverse side of flag
Design is an acceptable variant
Alternative version of flag
De facto version of flag
Flag has different designs on its obverse side and its reverse side
Obverse side meant to be hoisted with pole to the observer's right
Design officially authorized to represent nation by government of that nation
Design used in the past, but now abandoned (not part of Smith's original set)
Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Reverse side is congruent with obverse side
Information on reverse side is not available
Flag can be hung vertically by hoisting on a normal pole, then turning the pole 90°
Flag can be hung vertically by rotating the design first
Vertical hoist method of flag is unknown
Design has no element that can be rotated
Flag can be hoisted vertically only

[edit] Principles of flag design

Flag designs exhibit a number of regularities, arising from a variety of practical concerns, historical circumstances, and cultural prescriptions that have shaped and continue to shape their evolution.

First among the practical issues confronting a vexillographer is the necessity for the design to be manufactured (and often mass produced) into or onto a piece of cloth, which will subsequently be hoisted aloft in the outdoors to represent an organization, individual or idea. In this respect, flag design departs considerably from logo design: logos are predominantly still images to be read off a page, screen, or billboard, while flags are alternately draped and fluttering images to be seen from a variety of distances and angles. The prevalence of simple bold colors and shapes in flag design attests to these practical issues.

Flag design is also a historical process in which current designs often refer back to previous designs, effectively quoting, elaborating, or commenting upon them. Families of current flags may derive from a few common ancestors as in the cases of the Pan-African colours, the Pan-Arab colors, the Pan-Slavic colours, the Nordic Cross and the Ottoman flag.

Certain cultures prescribe the proper design of flags, through heraldic or other authoritative systems. Prescription may be based on religious principles: see, for example, Islamic flags. As a discipline, vexillology is beginning to promote design principles based on a body of research on flag history and design. Prominent examples are Ted Kaye's five Good Flag, Bad Flag principles published and endorsed by the North American Vexillological Association:

Keep It Simple: the flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
Use Meaningful Symbolism: the flag’s images, colors, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
Use 2–3 Basic Colors: limit the number of colors on the flag to three, which contrast well and come from the standard color set.
No Lettering or Seals: never use writing of any kind or an organization’s seal.
Be Distinctive or Be Related: avoid duplicating other flags, but use similarities to show connections.

[edit] Vexillologists

Graham Bartram, Chief Vexillologist of the Flag Institute, and Secretary-General for Congresses of FIAV
Bruce Berry, founder member of the Southern African Vexillological Association (SAVA), editor of the SAVA Journal and SAVA Newsletter, and collector of Rhodesian and South African flags
William Crampton, founder of the Flag Institute
Marc Leepson, author of Flag: An American Biography
Michel Lupant, current president of the FIAV
Ottfried Neubecker, most important German vexillologist, author of the German navy Flaggenbuch of 1939
George H. Preble, author in 1872 of the influential, if lore-filled, History of the American Flag
Rudolf Siegel, author of the influential book Die Flagge, published in 1912
Whitney Smith, founder of the Flag Research Center, editor of the Flag Bulletin, and coiner of the word "vexillology" in 1957