10.6.08

Subastada una bandera de la Guerra Boer

En Suráfrica ha sido subastada una bandera de la República Boer de Transvaal confeccionada por un prisionero de la guerra contra los británicos. La bandera tiene la particularidad de presentar una franja diagonal amarilla además de las franjas horizontales roja, blanca y azul y la franja vertical verde, sin que se sepa el motivo de dicho diseño.

South Africa: Boer Prisoner's Vierkleur Flag Fetches R22000
Johannesburg
THE AuctionExplorer books internet sale that closed last Thursday brought to light a rare, if not unique, variation of the Vierkleur made by a Boer prisoner on St Helena, which fetched R22000. The auction attracted 1200 bids from 19 different countries and the overall week's takings came to $79000, a record amount for the online auction company, James Findlay at AuctionExplorer said after the auction.
Gandolph's Books in Johannesburg sold a Boer War medal and collection of related Boer War memorabilia for $2940.
Arnaud Labuschagne of Gandolph's Books said he was asked by an elderly couple to view their small book collection as they were moving to a smaller home and wanted to downsize.
The books that he was called to assess were not of a high enough value to be auctioned, but when Labuschagne helped the lady pack the unwanted books back into her cupboard he noticed a piece of frayed cloth that looked like the Vierkleur -- the old Transvaal Republic flag. The cloth was partly hidden under a metal box. Labuschagne was told that the cloth was just an old "lappie" (rag) that was going to be thrown away. He asked to see it and the contents of the box.
The flag and the contents of a box were from her grandfather who was a Boer prisoner of war (POW) at St Helena. In the box were his discharge papers, photographs, documents and a Boer War medal.
Labuschagne said the Vierkleur was made by JAL Montgomery from old rags, while a POW on the island. It measures 54cm x 75cm. The flag has an interesting variation --a diagonal yellow stripe occurs on both sides of the flag in addition to the red, white and blue horizontal stripes and the green vertical stripe. The reason for an additional stripe is a mystery and Montgomery left no written record of its design.
Nevertheless, the old lady's "lappie" sold for R22 000.
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AllAfrica

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