SILK UNITED STATES FLAG WITH “EAGLE-IN-CANTON” DESIGN AND SIXTEEN STARS

RARE FOLK-MADE NATIONAL FLAG

American, likely circa 1875-1900. Pieced-and-sewn silk national flag with 13 hand‑sewn stripes and a blue silk canton, approx. 20 1/8 x 19 1/4 in., appliquéd with a white eagle grasping an olive branch, encircled by sixteen five-point, apprrox. 2 1/4 x 2 1/8 in. stars; small metal suspension rings sewn to the hoist for indoor display. The eagle and stars are cut from white silk and applied with fine stitching; the stripes are joined in silk taffeta typical of ceremonial flags. Approx. 51 1/8 x 36 5/8 in. overall.

A beautiful eagle-in-canton variant flag with a sixteen‑star constellation, an unofficial and scarce count. This is a visually powerful banner from America’s high tide of ceremonial patriotism and a wonderful example of folk‑made national colors.

Notably, the flag’s sixteen stars do not correspond to any official federal star count. After 1795, the national flag remained at 15 stars and 15 stripes until the Act of 1818, which fixed the stripes at thirteen and advanced the stars to 20, adding one for each new state thereafter; “16‑star” flags therefore fall outside the statute and are considered unofficial, maker’s-choice variants. The presence of an eagle rendered within the canton identifies this piece in a well‑documented American tradition, especially with militia and ceremonial flags, from the early nineteenth century through the early 20th century. Most surviving examples show painted or appliquéd federal eagles combined with a constellation of stars.

At times, specific services adopted eagles in the canton, including the Revenue Cutter Service ensign. The ensign, however, carried sixteen vertical red‑and‑white stripes and a white canton, differentiating it from this flag. This adds to the evidence against federal service attribution. Mid‑nineteenth‑century flags with 16 stars are known but are rare and non‑standard, produced for particular communities or events; the unusual star count here likely reflects that same vernacular practice rather than an official configuration.

Considering the silk construction intended for ceremonial, indoor use, the eagle‑in‑canton motif, and the non‑statutory star count, the flag most plausibly dates to the late nineteenth century, in the period of the Centennial and Spanish-American War when patriotic organizations (militia companies, veterans’ posts, fraternal bodies, and schools) commissioned banners that freely adapted national emblems.

A rare, bespoke example.

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