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Dictionary of Vexillology: T (Thangka - Tower Towered)

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THANGKA
THE ENSIGN
THE JACK
THE UNION
THIRD CANTON (or QUARTER)
THREE-STRIPED FLAG
THREE-TONGUED
THREEMOUND (or THREEMOUNT)
THROUGHOUT
TIERCÉ (or TIERCED)
TIES
TILTED FLAG
TINCTURES
TOGGLE
TOGGLE AND BECKET
TONGUE(S)
TONGUED
TOOTHED
TOOTHED WHEEL
TOPPED
TORSE
TORTEAU
TORTURE WHEEL
TORUS
TOUG
TOURING FLAG (or BANNER)
TOWER TOWERED (or TURRETED)

THANGKA

A Buddhist prayer flag or wall hanging that depicts scenes from the life and teachings of the Buddha (see also ‘prayer flag’ and ‘religious flag’).

19th Century Mongolian Thangka (Wikipedia)

THE ENSIGN

See ‘ensign, the’.

The Ensign of Italy 1848 – 1946 (fotw); The Ensign of Spain 1785-1931 (fotw)

THE JACK

See ‘jack, the’.

The Jack/Naval Jack 1879 – 1946, Italy (fotw); The Jack/Naval Jack of Spain 1945 – 1977 (fotw)

THE UNION

See ‘union, the’.

Canton of the National Flag/Traditional Jack, US (fotw)

THIRD CANTON (or QUARTER)

A term for that quarter of a flag which occupies the lower hoist - the third quarter, lower hoist or lower hoist canton – see ‘canton 3)’ (also ‘hoist 1)’).

THREE-STRIPED FLAG

See ‘triband’ and ‘tricolour’.

Flag of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, UK (Graham Bartram); National Flag of Lithuania (fotw); National Flag of The Congo (fotw)

THREE-TONGUED

See ‘swallowtail and tongue’ (also ‘triple tongued 2)’).

Flag of Dolnı Bar, Slovakia (fotw)

THREEMOUND (or THREEMOUNT)

See ‘coupeau’ (also ‘mount’).

Flag of Dürrenäsch, Switzerland (fotw)

THROUGHOUT

The heraldic term that is most usually (but not exclusively) employed when a charge, which under ordinary circumstances does not do so, extends to the edges of a shield, banner of arms or flag – for example a cross pattée throughout or a lozenge throughout as illustrated below – fixed or entire (see also ‘banner of arms’, ‘overall 1)’, ‘overall 2)’ and ‘surmounted by 2)’).

Imperial Standard 1871 - 1918, Germany (fotw); The Empire of Brazil 1822 – 1889 (fotw)

TIERCÉ (or TIERCED)

The heraldic term used when a shield or banner of arms is divided into three parts in two or three different tinctures or patterns – but see ‘triband 1)’, ‘tricolour 1)’ and note below.

Arms of Dobrovnik, Slovenia (fotw); Flag of Gettnau, Switzerland; Flag of Mont-sur-Rolle, Switzerland (fotw); of Flag of Correvon, Switzerland (fotw)

Please note that a field divided in tiercé may be described in several different ways and it is suggested that a glossary or heraldic dictionary be consulted for full details, however, among those ways are per fess, per pale or per bend depending upon whether it is horizontal, vertical or diagonal – see ‘bend’, ‘fess’ and ‘pale’ (also ‘per bend’ and ‘per bend sinister’).

TIES

Pieces of fabric or lengths of ribbon used in the largely (but not entirely) obsolete practice of tying a flag to its staff or mast.

Please note that the increasingly (but by no means entirely) obsolete practice of fixing a flag to its pole or staff by a series of attached loops is almost certainly based on this earlier use of ties – but see ‘loops’ (also ‘sleeve 2)’).

TILTED FLAG

See ‘flag for slanted display’.

Flag of the Army For Slanted Display, Bolivia (fotw & CS)

TINCTURES

The heraldic term for the colours, metals and furs used on a shield or banner of arms (see 'Appendix III').

From left: Gules, Azure, Vert, Purpure, Sable, Brunatre, Tenne, Or, Argent, Ermine, Potent and Vair

TOGGLE

An oval-shaped wood or plastic cross-piece attached to a hoist-line sewn into the heading of a flag, that fastens to a becket or eyesplice at the upper end of the halyard for hoisting the flag on a mast or pole (see also ‘becket’, ‘halyard’, ‘heading’, ‘hoistline’ plus ‘running eye and toggle’).

TOGGLE AND BECKET

See ‘running eye and toggle’.

TONGUE(S)

1) In the singular, a piece of fabric projecting from the fly of a flag - see ‘swallowtail and tongue’ and ‘schwenkel 2))’.
2) In the plural see ‘tails’.

Flag of the Partioheraldikot r.y., Finland (fotw); Royal Flag of Sweden (fotw); Presidential Flag, Iceland (fotw)

TONGUED

See ‘langued’.

Flag of Oostrozebeke, Belgium (fotw)

TOOTHED

See ‘armed 2)’.

Flag of Appenzell, Switzerland (fotw)

TOOTHED WHEEL

See ‘cog-wheel’.

Flag of Industriequartier Zurich, Switzerland (fotw)

TOPPED

1) In vexillology a term that may be used to place the uppermost detail of a charge – for example when an orb and cross appear on the central point of a crown (see also ‘charge 2)’ and ‘crown’.

2) In heraldry see ‘ensigned’.

Royal Crown of Spain (fotw)

TORSE

A heraldic wreath - see ‘wreath 2)’.

TORTEAU

The heraldic term for a red disc – a roundel gules (see also ‘bezant’, ‘hurt’, ‘plates’ and ‘roundel 3)’)

Flag of Burg, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of Niederbipp, Switzerland (fotw)

Please note that in strict English heraldic usage this term should only be applied when the charge described in red (“gules”) – see ‘tinctures’ in ‘Appendix III:’.

TORTURE WHEEL

See ‘St. Catherine's wheel’.

Arms and Flag of Arcas, Portugal (fotw)

TORUS

See ‘ring 1)’.

TOUG

A term for the horsetail decorated standard, now obsolete, of certain regiments of French cavalry - the Spahis originally raised from North African tribesmen – a tugh (see also ‘horsetail’, ‘standard 2)’ and 'tugh 1)'.

TOURING FLAG (or BANNER)

The term – and a translation of the German Wanderfahne – for those flags (or more accurately banners) that were awarded to various non-military organizations for the best performance in the meeting or exceeding of production targets etc., by the former GDR and possibly other Communist bloc countries – but see ‘award flag’ (also ‘banner 3’ and ‘honour banner’).

Example: eBay

Please note that other translations of the term “wanderfahne” have been proposed, but have not yet been adopted into English vexillology.

TOWER TOWERED (or TURRETED)

The heraldic term used when a narrower tower or turret rises above the embattled top of another tower or turret, with the number of any such towers or turrets (if more than one) given – for example (as per two of those shown blow) a tower triple-towered (see also ‘embattled’).

From left: Flag and Arms of Seia, Portugal (fotw & ICA) Flag of Castile-La Mancha, Spain; Naval Jack of Spain (fotw); Arms and Flag of Belmonte, Portugal (Klaus-Michael Schneider & fotw)

Please note that other variants might include a tower with a steeple or a tower domed (or with a cupola), with the example given below being a tower triple towered with one domed.

Flag and Lesser Arms of Hamburg, Germany (fotw)

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