Vexillology
Vexillology is the scholarly study of flags, including their history, design, symbolism, classification, and use.
Flag: A piece of fabric or other material bearing a distinctive design and used as a signal, symbol, or identifier. The basic object vexillology studies, from its forms to its meanings.
Flag design: The planning of a flag’s colors, symbols, proportions, and arrangement. Vexillology examines how visual choices shape a flag’s recognition and meaning.
Vexillum: A military standard used by Roman forces, consisting of cloth suspended from a crossbar. Its name gave vexillology its root, and it exemplifies an early flag-like standard.
Whitney Smith: An American scholar who helped establish modern vexillology and coined the word in 1957. Smith developed the field’s terminology, scholarship, and international networks.
Flag of the United Nations: The light-blue flag bearing the United Nations emblem, adopted in 1947. Its design and adoption show how an international organization uses a flag to represent itself.
Flag terminology: The specialized vocabulary used to describe a flag’s parts, shapes, and arrangement. Terms such as hoist and fly let vexillologists describe designs consistently.
Flag symbolism: The meanings associated with a flag’s colors, shapes, and images. Symbolic interpretations connect flag designs to political and cultural identities.
Medieval heraldry: The medieval system of coats of arms, rules, and practices used to identify people and lineages. Heraldic practice supplied symbols and visual conventions later used on flags.
International Federation of Vexillological Associations: An international organization that brings together associations devoted to the study of flags. It connects national and regional vexillological organizations through conferences and publications.
Flag of Nepal: The national flag of Nepal, formed from two joined crimson pennants with blue borders. Its unusual shape demonstrates why flag classification must account for form as well as imagery.