View source for Unidentified flag from the Kingdom of Benin

{{Short description|Unidentified flag of West African origin}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name =  Unidentified flag from the Kingdom of Benin
| Image = West African flag RMG L4479.tiff
| Use = [[Banner]]
| Symbol = {{FIAV|normal}}
| Proportion = 1:2
| Adoption =
| Design = A red banner charged with two white figures, the one to the hoist decapitating the one to the fly with a sword.
| Designer = Unknown
}}
An unidentified [[West Africa]]n flag was brought to [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Britain]] after the [[Benin Expedition of 1897]] against the [[Kingdom of Benin]].<ref name="Dean2016"/><ref name="RMG2021"/> Debate exists over the origin of the flag, including which West African people created it. The flag has been considered to be possibly of [[Itsekiri]] origin.
==History==
Dean Nicholas of ''[[History Today]]'' writes that "little is known of the flag's origins or meaning, nor even if it belonged to or was used by the Kingdom of Benin, though it is believed to be of [[Itsekiri people|Itsekri]] origin."<ref name="Dean2016">{{cite news |last1=Nicholas |first1=Dean |date=12 April 2016 |title=Lowering the standard: five of history's oddest flags |url=https://www.historytoday.com/lowering-standard-five-historys-oddest-flags |access-date=1 December 2021 |work=[[History Today]]}}</ref> According to the [[Royal Museums Greenwich]], which has the flag in the [[National Maritime Museum]]'s collection, it was brought to Britain by [[Royal Navy]] officer [[Francis William Kennedy]] who was part of the [[punitive expedition]] against the [[Kingdom of Benin]] in 1897.
[[File:Unidentified West African flag.svg|thumb|center|350px|A digital depiction of the flag]]
The flag is located at the National Maritime Museum in [[Greenwich]], London, where {{asof|2022|lc=y}} it is not on display.<ref name="RMG2021">{{cite web|title=West African flag|url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-557|access-date=2022-08-18|work=[[Royal Museums Greenwich]]|id=AAA0557}}</ref> The Museum description says the flag is "probably Itsekri", and that "the Itsekri people acted as middle men between the [[Edo people]] of Benin in the interior and the Europeans on the coast."<ref name="RMG2021"/>
<blockquote>
The Benin expedition was launched in reprisal against an attack on a British mission in the service of [[Niger Coast Protectorate]] by forces of the [[Oba of Benin]]. It was a combined naval and military operation under the command of [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[Harry Rawson|Harry Holdsworth Rawson]] [[Order of the Bath|C.B.]] with local troops and carriers. The towns of [[Ughoton|Guato]] and Sapobar were attacked by detached forces while the main part of the expedition marched on Benin. The town was captured and accidentally burnt. [[Ovonramwen|Oba Overami]], was exiled to Calabar where he died in 1914. The famous [[Benin Bronzes|Benin bronzes]] were removed as [[War reparations|reparations]] by the British.<ref name="RMG2021"/>
</blockquote>
<!-- Obo'Khian cited from Institute of Benin Studies (no longer archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20071214214616/http://www.greatbenin.org/GreatBenin.org ) (possibly same as original: https://web.archive.org/web/20100203064751/http://greatbenin.org/ ) -->
Since at least 2009, the flag has attracted attention for its unusual and highly distinctive graphic design.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Doctorow|first1=Cory |author-link=Cory Doctorow |title=Flag of Benin Empire may be the best flag depicting a decapitation in the history of the world|url=https://boingboing.net/2009/10/06/flag-of-benin-empire.html|access-date=1 December 2021|work=Boing Boing|date=6 October 2009}}</ref>
The National Maritime Museum holds a personal flag of Itsekiri chief and trader [[Nana Olomu]] which was also recovered by F. W. Kennedy.<ref>{{cite news|title=Personal flag of Nana Olomu|url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-455|access-date=2022-08-18|work=[[Royal Museums Greenwich]]|id=AAA0455 }}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
[[Category:Kingdom of Benin]]
[[Category:Historical flags]]
[[Category:Red and white flags]]