Token Totems - Flags of the Palio and Cultural Cross-over in Flag Design - A Lecture Delivered to the 23rd ICV

Aug 27, 2026

Flags function beyond flat graphics, demanding attention to motion, fabric edge, and the psychological impact on observers. The lecture highlights how kinetic display in Beijing Opera and civic rituals in medieval Europe inform flag design, with the Palio banners of Siena as a standout case. It examines Palio flag forms, their relationship to totem tokens, and explores cross-cultural transfer into national and other future flags, including insights for Australia.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction - Figure 1

Kinetic flags and observer impact

The Palio as a design resource

Part I - The Palio Background

A civic liturgy in Siena and Australia

Blessings, rituals, and the Palio’s origins

TOKEN TOTEMS FLAGS OF THE PALIO AND CULTURAL CROSS-OVER IN FLAG DESIGN A lecture delivered to the 23rd ICV in Yokohama, July 2009 illustrated with physical flags and images projected via MS PowerPoint. ABSTRACT Whilst it is a commonplace that flags are mobiles, and that their design ideally should take account of this – in their simplicity, distinctiveness and all the heraldic and chromatic conventions – less mundane uses of flags in various cultures (eg the “company” flags ofthe Asafo of Ghana, or the banners of Masonic Lodges) are often overlooked. The kinetics of flag display are a feature of Beijing Opera, and taken further in totalitarian liturgies. The civic rituals of medieval Europe are another rich resource of design ideas. Among these, the flags ofthe Palio held in Siena and other Italian cities stand out. The contrade banners ofthe Palio employ a design template seldom found in modern national flags. The pageantry of this earlier flag heritage has something to say even when minimalism in flag design is seen as practical and to be preferred. They present a challenge for vexillography. The paper examines the forms of the Palio flags, and the relationship to flags as tokens of totem. Some examples are given of cross-cultural application in national and other flags ofthe future. Tony Burton FLAGS AUSTRALIA [ozvexikon@three.com.au](ozvexikon@three.com.au) PO Box 233 MILSONS POINT NSW 1565 Australia BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Tony Burton is a long standing member of Flags Australia and its executive, and the editor ofits journal Crux Australis. He has a keen interest in the principles and practice of flag design. He is the author of many cross-cultural articles on flags and aspects of Australian flag history. Some of his work is reflected in the emblems of Aboriginal Councils, and he is the designer of the Australian South Sea Islanders flag. Other designs of his have won finalist place in several of the design competitions conducted as part of the debate over the Australian flag. The PALIO CULTURAL CROSSOVER IN FLAG DESIGN SIENA Tony Burton FLAGS AUSTRALIA SIENA Medieval city, Central Tuscany said to have been founded by Senius, son of Remus brother of Romulus, founders of Rome FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2 TOKEN TOTEMS-FLAGS OF THE PALIO AND CULTURAL CROSS-OVER IN FLAG DESIGN INTRODUCTION – Figure 1 Flags are more than simply graphics, and flat graphics, as designers often seem to imagine. At the Melbourne ICV in 1989, Dr Whitney Smith reminded us that flags have another dimension beyond length and breadth. They have edge, by which I believe he meant that flimsiness that allows the fabric to move about and thus attract attention to convey their essential message. That message lies in the fourth dimension of flags, external to the fabric of the flag. This aspect of flags resides in the psyche. One of the key tests for flag design is what happens for the beholder when flags actually move, as they are meant to do. Is the beholder also moved? Kinetic flag display features in Beijing Opera. It is taken further in totalitarian liturgies. The civic rituals of medieval Europe are another rich source of flag display and design. Among these, the flags of the Palio held every summer in Siena and other Italian cities stand out. There flags do indeed move, as they are flourished and tossed in the air. For those actually there, it is a spectacle moving like few others. The unusual design and pageantry of the Sienese flags is the first focus of this paper. There follow some observations on what goes into their design, and further remarks on the power of flag devices as reflections of a totemic world, and the need for symbolism that makes our humanity. The paper then considers how the flags of the Palio offer insights about flag design elsewhere, starting with my own country, Australia. PART I – THE PALIO BACKGROUND After the 2007 Berlin Congress my brother and I visited Siena to s

FAQs

Why does the lecture emphasize motion in flag design?

It argues that flags convey meaning through kinetics—what happens for the beholder when flags move as intended. Edge and movement help attract attention and transmit the essential message.

What role do the Palio banners of Siena play in the paper?

They are presented as a first focus because their unusual design template is seldom found in modern national flags. They also provide insights into totemic symbolism and design challenges for vexillography.

How is the Palio linked to civic and religious ritual?

Before the festival day, flags and horses are blessed in Siena’s Cathedral, and the Palio’s name connects to a Latin pallium from Byzantine ecclesiastical authority. The Palio itself is a draped trophy associated with the decorated vertical vexillum banner.

Aug 27, 2026

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