Blue flag with yellow tiger? Flags, authenticity and identity

Lennard, F. , Pollak, N., Lin, C. and Chen, W.-P. (2013) Blue flag with yellow tiger? Flags, authenticity and identity. Journal of the Institute of Conservation, 36(1), pp. 3-17. (doi: 10.1080/19455224.2013.744698)

Abstract

The Flag of the Formosa Republic in the collection of the National Taiwan Museum is a national icon. It is a copy of one made in 1895 to mark the formation of a new Taiwanese republic; this replica, described in a contemporary newspaper account as an exact copy, was made in Japan in 1909. The painted flag was an intriguing puzzle. Instrumental analysis and a close study of the flag itself and of surviving historic photographs and records were used to try to establish whether what looked like later additions and repairs were actually part of the original construction. An international team of conservators and scientists from Taiwan, the UK, the USA and Germany carried out the investigation and the conservation treatment. Although dye analysis was inconclusive and it has not yet been possible to ascertain the original colour, it was felt that an addition in the upper right corner and some of the repairs could well be part of the original construction and these were left in situ though other repairs were removed. The paper lining was removed, revealing that the flag was painted on both sides. The fabric was cleaned using a vacuum suction table, while the paint surface was cleaned with swabs. The flag was supported using an adhesive treatment with Lascaux acrylic resin.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Lennard, Professor Frances
• Authors: Lennard, F., Pollak, N., Lin, C., and Chen, W.-P.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > History of Art
• Journal Name: Journal of the Institute of Conservation
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 1945-5224
• ISSN (Online): 1945-5232
• Published Online: 14 June 2013
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2013 Taylor and Francis
• First Published: First published in Journal of the Institute of Conservation 36(1):3-17
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher