M HKA HISTORY

IN SITU: Lifepatch – The Tale of Tiger and Lion

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Collection of flags, 1910

Object
Textile

Collection of flags 

<p>This is an Achenese war flag with double sword and sun &amp; moon iconography that</p> <p>originated from the Ottoman war flag. The colours however are commonly associated with Batak tradition.</p> View
<p>If the Batak had a very different culture from the Achenese, they held good relationships with their powerful neighbours of the Sultanate. An expedition sent by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1565 had a profound influence on Aceh. The sword with two blades refers to the prophet Mohammed&rsquo;s sword that came into the possession of his son-in-law Caliph Ali. It is usually represented as a blade with two points, or as having two blades. The eight-pointed star is a compass rose and has special meaning in Batak tradition. The presence of three seals on the 330cm long flag confirms its royal characteristics. It is a reasonable assessment to associate this flag with Si Singamangaraja XII.</p> View
<p>The writing on this flag relates mainly to Arabic holy texts. The basic pattern follows the form of some Ottoman flag types. A white flag was a symbol of mourning. Flags like this were erected in lightly fortified villages when there was a menace of an attack by the Royal Dutch Indian Army forces. The villagers mostly wore white clothes, and fought until the last man or woman standing. Following the battle, the military took photos, made a tally of the dead, and collected the surviving children.</p> View
<p>The base colour of this flag refers to the red of most Turkish flags. The pattern is added in an applique technique. It represents a typical Achenese sword, the &lsquo;pedang hulu meu apet&rsquo;. This form was influenced by South Indian sword types.</p> View
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