Last modified: 2014-06-29 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: sea merchant flags | merchant flags | cross: christ knights | quina: bordered | quina (white) | quina (yellow) | escutcheon: portugal ancien | tercere |
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The actual use of flags depicted in old maps and charts is not
always confirmed; these flags were used by cartogrphers to mark
portuguese-held territories in navigation maps. Obviously, the fact
that this or that flag was registered in a map from a particular
year does not mean that its use was restricted to that time nor
that it was the only one then used by portuguese commercial vessels.
Also, the phantasy and uninformedness of most cartographers, many of
them not navigators nor living in Portugal and modern misinterpretations
make some details doubtful…
António Martins, 22 May 1997
After the 1640 restauration many ensigns were used
by merchant ships. The white flag with the armillary sphere was used by
ships sailing to Brazil and Indies. It is reported that the colour of the
armillary sphere was different for the ships directed to the Indies (red)
from that on the flags of those directed to Brazil (gold). All these ensigns,
which appear on documents of the 17th c., disappeared at the beginning of
the 19th century.
Mario Fabretto, 01 Aug 1998
Unfortunately we deal on descriptions. So many and differents are the images, that it is hard to say how the design actually appeared. What appears clear is that portugueses were used to differentiate with colours or symbols different scope of sailing ships. have the following descriptions:
This design, without border and with reversed
colors, began to appear on portolanoes in the 15th century and is still
attested in the 17th century: Jorge Reinel between 1518 and 1520
[jre1X];
Herrera 1601/1615 in [xviXXa].
The reversed colours (blue quinas on white) were on the flame
used by ships sailing with the financial support of the Senatus
and the city of Lisbon.
Mario Fabretto, 22 May 1997
Shown in [p9t94], quoting the map
of Mateu Prunes, 1563 [mpr63]: A plain
blue field charged with five white circles in saltire. This of course
is a banner of the basic modern quina:
azure five plates (bezants) per saltire.
António Martins, 22 May 1997 and 26 Jan 2004
Shown in [p9t94], quoting the map
of João Freire, mid 16th ct. [jfrXX],
and also depicted in a portuguese postage stamp
of the early nineties, hoisted on a rowboat, showing the 1494 arrival
of Corte-Real to Labrador:
As the previous one, but bordered red.
António Martins, 22 May 1997 and 26 Jan 2004
This precise design (with the red border, but a little
narrower) is to be found on the Sanches 1623 Planisphere
[scs23].
Mario Fabretto, 22 May 1997
In the Atlante Miller [rlh19]
the [red bordered quina] flag has also eight
golden castles on the red border.
Mario Fabretto, 22 May 1997
Shown in [p9t94], quoting
«the so called Miller atlas of Lopo Homem Reineis, 1519»
[rlh19]. Silver charged with five
blue circles saltire and border red charged with eight castles.
The original depiction shows azure field, but this is most
certainly a tint alteration.
António Martins, 22 May 1997
Shown in [p9t94], from the Account
on the successful second siege to Diu of Jerónimo Corte-Real, 1574
[jcr74].
A banner of the portuguese coat of arms: silver chaged with five
blue eschuteons pointing downwards and arranged in cross, each bearing
five silver circles saltire, all bordered with red charged with eigth
castles gold. Very similar to the “national” flag of
1485-1495, this having only seven castles;
António Martins, 22 May 1997
Shown in [p9t94],
from [fvd70]:
Blue over red per band (from top hoist to lower fly) charged with a
gold shield bearing five blue circles in saltire. Edge serrated postage
stamp-like.
António Martins, 22 May 1997
The circular indentations of the border are to be found on many
16th and 17th century portuguese flags. The gold of old portolanoes can
represent white: several examples exist of that. A similar flag is to be
found in the Atlas by Fernão Vaz Dourado (1571)
[fvd71] flying over Japan.
Mario Fabretto, 22 May 1997
Sometimes, the gold of old portolanoes can represent white due to
pigment chemichal alteration, but I can’t imagine the “original”
flag as white (instead of gold) shield with white bezants…)
António Martins, 22 May 1997
Shown in [p9t94],
from [fvd70]:
Very similar to the previous: Gold field charged with
five silver circles saltire and bordered blue over red per band with the
same edge serration.
António Martins, 22 May 1997
This particular colour arrangement seems to be the result of a colour
degradation of the previous design.
Mario Fabretto, 22 May 1997
Dunno: they both appear on the same map
[fvd70] so
one would expect that pigments would alterate at the same rate (but could
be due to unqual exposition to sunlight on second thought…). Anyway,
change from shield to square would be quite a chemical alteration!
António Martins, 22 May 1997
[bel56], as shown in the cover of
[sie63], calls it «Pavillon de Guerre
/ de Portugal» (2nd of the flags partly visible on the 6th row from
the bottom): A white flag with on a shield a red field with a white border,
the red field quartered by a narrow white cross. Red with white cross:
Has there ever been an appropriate connection between Portugal and what
is now the Order of Malta?
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 05 Jan 2001 and 27 Jan 2001
[bel56], as shown in the cover of
[sie63], calls it «Pavillon des
/ Marchands Portugais» (3rd of the flags partly visible on the 6th row
from the bottom): A flag of equal stripes in red and white.
[Might be seven in red and white, or six in white and red.]
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 05 Jan 2001
The number of stripes probably varied, they were just “many”
(more than five and less than fifteen, I’d guess, from an optical reasoning)
— I just dont know…
António Martins, 29 Jan 2001
There’s also a green version. This flag, by the way, was possibly
influenced by the Catalonian quatre barres
and in turn influenced some british flags, which
generated the Continental Colours and hence the
Old Glory as we know it, with all its descendants,
from Chile to Malaysia.
António Martins, 24 Jan 2001
«Sir William Foster has suggested to me that the flag of
[British] Eastern India Company may possibly
have been derived from that used by Portuguese merchant-vessels.»
According to Alexander Justice, Dominions and Laws of the Sea
(London 1705), this was one bearing alternate green and white stripes,
with the Portuguese royal arms superimposed.
David Prothero, 01 Sep 1999
The Portuguese
in India established a system of granting passes to native vessels
sailing under their protection, which was copied by the English.
The former may have permitted country junks to use their commercial
flag minus the royal arms, and the English may have adopted the
practice, merely substituting red for green.
David Prothero, 01 Sep 1999
In [noh90] (facsimile of a 1848 flag
chart), a flag numbered and labelled «217 Portuguese Merchant»
consists of nine stripes green over white.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 Nov 2001
In [noh90] (facsimile of a 1848 flag
chart), a flag numbered and labelled «218 Portuguese Coastert»
consists of eleven stripes green over white.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 Nov 2001
In [noh90] (facsimile of a 1848 flag
chart), a flag numbered and labelled «219 Oporto»
consists of thirteen stripes green over white.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 Nov 2001
I read somewhre this version was used to identify ships chartered by the
Oporto municipal government (Senate).
António Martins, 07 Sep 1999
Chart [bel56], as shown in the cover of
[sie63], calls it «Pavillon de
Tercere» (6th of the flags partly visible on the 6th row from the
bottom): A red flag with a shield divided by a silver bar, azure and sable.
[sie63] asserts that "Tercere"
is a misspelling of "Veere".
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 05 Jan 2001
"Tercere", or rather "Tercère",
seems to be a francification of "Terceira" one of the
azorean islands, (analogous to
"Madeira" → "Madère"). I had
no info on this flag before, but I’m sure it is not a
“subnational” flag as we understand today. Most probably
an ensign used by local authorities, or simply a misidentification.
António Martins, 24 Jan 2001
In chart [bel56], as shown in the cover
of [sie63], this is called «Pav. Blanc
de Portugal» (yes, that's the same text as the
previous one) (5th of the flags partly visible
on the 6th row from the bottom): White, in the canton an unidentifyable
object, in the center the same object as in the previous flag, in the fly
a person with a black mantel or robe.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 05 Jan 2001
If I recall correctly, this one was used in the East Indian routes. The
person is a saint and the object is the contemporary
national arms.
António Martins, 24 Jan 2001
The blue is close to that used on the Azores flag,
which may or may not be a coincidence.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 28 Jan 2001
In [noh90] (facsimile of a 1848 flag
chart), a flag numbered and labelled «216 Portuguese Signal for a
Pilot» is like the 1706-1816 national flag,
but with a red border.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 Nov 2001
Shown in [p9t94]:
Extended Christ Order cross on white over blue gironny charged
with silver eschuteon bordered blue and charged with five blue circles
saltire.
António Martins, 22 May 1997
Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.