Dictionary of Vexillology: T (Thangka - Tower Towered)

Last modified: 2014-12-20 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

• 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
• 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)

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THE ENSIGN

See ‘ensign, the’.

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

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THE JACK

See ‘jack, the’.

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

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THE UNION

See ‘union, the’.

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

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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)’).

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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)

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THREE-TONGUED

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

Flag of Dolný Bar, Slovakia (fotw)

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THREEMOUND (or THREEMOUNT)

See ‘coupeau’ (also ‘mount’).

Flag of Dürrenäsch, Switzerland (fotw)

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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)

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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’).

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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)’).

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TILTED FLAG

See ‘flag for slanted display’.

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

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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

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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’).

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TOGGLE AND BECKET

See ‘running eye and toggle’.

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TONGUE(S)

One or more projections extending from the fly of a flag or the bottom edge of a gonfalon, hanging flag or banner, either varying in width/length or of even size, sometimes triangular or possibly straight-sided with rounded, triangular or squared ends - tails (see also ‘fly 1)’, 'gonfalon', ‘gonfanon’, 'multi-tailed', ‘pallia’, ‘palm’, ‘schwenkel’, 'square-tongued', ‘stepped fly’, ‘swallow-tail(ed)’ ‘swallowtail and tongue’ and ‘triangular-ended tails’).

   
Gonfalon/Ceremonial Flag of Baska, Croatia (fotw); Flag of Beckov, Slovakia (fotw); State Flag of Iceland (fotw)

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TONGUED

See ‘langued’.

Flag of Oostrozebeke, Belgium (fotw)

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TOOTHED

See ‘armed 2)’.

Flag of Appenzell, Switzerland (fotw)

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TOOTHED WHEEL

See ‘cog-wheel’.

Flag of Industriequartier Zurich, Switzerland (fotw)

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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)’.

2) In heraldry see ‘ensigned’.

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TORSE

A heraldic wreath - see ‘wreath 2)’.

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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:’.

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TORUS

See ‘ring 1)’.

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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)'.

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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.

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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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