Original Item. Only One Available. This is an original small Imperial German WWI pennant embroidered with the design of the Reichskriegsflagge, or Imperial War Ensign. Measuring approximately 8 x 12 ⅞”, it features detailed chain stitched decoration, a retained black, white, and red hanging cord, and part of the wooden rod originally fitted through the hoist. The rod is now broken in half, but the pennant itself remains in excellent overall condition.

The white field is crossed by the black outlined Balkenkreuz, or beam cross. At the intersection is a circular white field containing the black Imperial German eagle.

The upper canton incorporates the Imperial German national colors, black, white, and red. An Iron Cross appears within the canton, reflecting the strong Prussian influence upon the military symbols of the German Empire.

The black and red portions of the canton are worked in chain stitch embroidery. Additional embroidered detail surrounds the central eagle, giving this small pennant a more elaborate construction than a standard printed flag.

The pennant retains its original black, white, and red hanging cord. These colors correspond to the national colors of the German Empire.

A wooden rod was originally fitted through the hoist so that the pennant could be suspended from the cord. The rod is now broken in half, making it difficult to hang the pennant as originally intended.

Because of the damaged rod and the age of the textile, the pennant would be best preserved by displaying it flat or within a suitable frame rather than suspending it from the original cord.

The base material exhibits scattered staining, and the white field has darkened considerably with age. The embroidered decoration remains well retained, with particularly strong stitching around the central eagle and within the black and red canton.

The Imperial German War Ensign developed from the flag adopted by the North German Confederation in 1867. Its design combined the black and white colors and eagle of Prussia with the black, white, and red national colors of the Confederation and, after 1871, the German Empire.

The design incorporated several prominent symbols of the Prussian led German state. These included the Iron Cross in the canton, the Prussian eagle at the center, and the offset black cross extending across the white field.

After the establishment of the German Empire in 1871, the ensign continued in use by the Imperial German Navy. The eagle was revised in 1892, and a minor alteration to the cross design followed in 1903. The 1903 pattern remained in service throughout WWI.

At approximately 8 x 12 ⅞”, this example was not intended to function as a full size naval ensign. Its embroidered construction, small proportions, hanging cord, and internal wooden rod are more consistent with a patriotic display pennant or commemorative decorative flag using the Imperial War Ensign design.

The surviving chain stitch embroidery, Imperial eagle, Iron Cross canton, black, white, and red hanging cord, and original rod construction document the manufacture of a small patriotic textile based upon one of the principal military flags of Imperial Germany. The broken rod and staining are important condition considerations, but the embroidered design remains largely intact. It would be appropriate for a collection focused on Imperial German flags, naval symbolism, or embroidered military souvenirs.