Fante Frankaa or Asafo Military Flag

A man stands in a boat with a red cannon, while another points at him from across the water.

This Frankaa or Asafo military flag is Fante, from Ghana, West Africa, and dates to the 20th C. Asafo companies were traditional Fante military groups whose appliqué flags often carried proverbs and images meant to boast, warn or provoke rival companies. The black field is set with cream cotton figures: one standing in a long boat with a red cannon at its bow, another gesturing from the right. A Union Jack fills the upper corner. A wide cream border with a fringed edge surrounds it all, with ties hanging from the hoist. It is 58.5 inches wide and 33.5 long.

Rivalry, stitched with commendable clarity.