Seiki (The Main Flag) Donated by Tomonori Takeshima

This is the most representative of the flags used by the Satake family.

The gold foil on the emblems of the family, five-spoked fans, remain vivid. The old record of The Honorable Armors [of the Satake Family] refers to this as one of “the three deep-blue flags with nine gold fans and gold leather rings, for two of which gold fans are from gold coins of the Keicho period (1596–1615).” This record thus indicates the high purity of the gold used.

The rings to connect the flag to the pole are made of gold-foiled leather on which secret signs are sewn with white thread, such as an Abe-no-Seimei star sign for protection, four vertical lines with five horizontal lines to represent nine Chinese characters from warriors’ magical spells.

This flag was made following all the rules and rituals for samurai flags.

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