Dictionary of Vexillology: T (Thangka – Tower Towered)

Last modified: 2025-02-15 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

• THANGKA
• THE CANTON
• THE ENSIGN
• THE JACK
• THE UNION
• THIRD CANTON (or QUARTER)
• THREE-ARMED CROSS
• THREE-STRIPED FLAG
• THREE-TONGUED
• THREEMOUND (or THREEMOUNT)
• THROUGHOUT
• TIERCÉ (or TIERCED)
• TIES
• TILTED FLAG
• TINCTURES
• TOGGLE
• TOGGLE AND BECKET
• TONGUE(S)
• TONGUED
• TOOTHED
• TOOTHED WHEEL
• TOPPED
• TORSE
• TORTEAU (TOURTEAU or TORTS)
• TORTURE WHEEL
• TORUS
• TOUG
• TOURING FLAG (or BANNER)
• TOWER TOWERED (or TURRETED)

THANGKA

A Buddhist prayer flag or wall hanging that depicts scenes from the life and teachings of the Buddha (see also ‘prayer flag’ and ‘religious flag’).

19th century Mongolian Thangka (Wikipedia)

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THE CANTON

In heraldry and vexillology see Canton 1) and Canton 2).

National Flag of Samoa; National Flag of Taiwan

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THE ENSIGN

See ‘ensign, the’.

The Ensign of Italy 1848–1946; The Ensign of Spain 1785–1931

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THE JACK

See ‘jack, the’.

The Jack/Naval Jack 1879–1946, Italy; The Jack/Naval Jack of Spain 1945–1977

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THE UNION

See ‘union, the’.

Jack/Canton of the National Flag, US; Flag of Sarawak 1946–1953

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THIRD CANTON (or QUARTER)

Alternative terms for that quarter of a flag which occupies the lower hoist – the third quarter, lower hoist or lower hoist canton – see ‘canton 3)’ (also ‘hoist 1)’).

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THREE-ARMED CROSS

1) See ‘papal cross’

2) See ‘orthodox cross’.

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THREE-STRIPED FLAG

See ‘triband’ and ‘tricolour’.

Flag of the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines, UK (Graham Bartram); National Flag of Lithuania; National Flag of The Congo

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THREE-TONGUED

See ‘swallowtail and tongue’ ‘triangular tongued’ and ‘triple tongued 1)’).

 
Naval Ensign/State Flag of Norway; Flag of Halič, Slovakia

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THREEMOUND (or THREEMOUNT)

In heraldry see ‘coupeau’ (also ‘mount’).

Flag of Dürrenäsch, Switzerland

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THROUGHOUT

The heraldic term that is most usually (but not exclusively) employed when a charge, which under ordinary circumstances does not do so, extends to the edges of a shield, banner of arms or flag – for example a Latin cross throughout or a lozenge throughout as illustrated below – fixed or entire (see also ‘banner of arms’, ‘overall 1)’, ‘overall 2)’ and ‘surmounted by 2)’).

 
Flag of Pula, Croatia; The Empire of Brazil 1822–1889

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TIERCÉ (or TIERCED)

The alternative heraldic terms used when a shield or banner of arms is divided into three parts in two or three different tinctures or patterns – but see ‘triband 1)’, ‘tricolour 1)’ and note below.

 
Flag of Fulenbach, Switzerland; Flag of Hernán Cortés, Spain; Flag of Dobrovnik, Slovenia;

Please note that a field divided in tiercé (or party per tierce) may be described in several different ways and it is suggested that a glossary or heraldic dictionary be consulted for full details, however, among those ways are per fess, per pale or per bend depending upon whether it is horizontal, vertical or diagonal – see ‘bend’, ‘fess’ and ‘pale’ (also ‘per bend’ and ‘per bend sinister’).

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TIES

Pieces of fabric or lengths of ribbon used in the largely (but not entirely) obsolete practice of tying a flag to its staff or mast.

Please note that the increasingly (but by no means entirely) obsolete practice of fixing a flag to its pole or staff by a series of attached loops is almost certainly based on this earlier use of ties – but see ‘loops’ (also ‘sleeve 2)’).

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TILTED FLAG

See ‘flag for slanted display’.

Flag of the Army For Slanted Display, Bolivia (fotw & CS)

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TINCTURES

The heraldic term for the colours, metals and furs used on a shield or banner of arms – see furs, metals, mixed tinctures, proper, rules of tincture and shades of tincture (also hatching 1)).

 
Gules, Azure, Vert, Purpure, Sable, Brunatre, Tenne, Or, Argent, Ermine, Potent and Vair

Notes
a) The basic colours used in English heraldry are gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), purpure (purple), argent (white) and sable (black,), with others listed under mixed tinctures and shades of tincture as referenced above.
b) There are some variations not given herein, and we suggest that a suitable glossary or dictionary of heraldry be consulted if further details are required.

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TOGGLE

An oval-shaped wood or plastic cross-piece attached to a hoist-line sewn into the heading of a flag, that fastens to a becket or eyesplice at the upper end of the halyard for hoisting the flag on a mast or pole (see also ‘becket’, ‘halyard’, ‘heading’, ‘hoistline’ plus ‘running eye and toggle’).

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TOGGLE AND BECKET

See ‘running eye and toggle’.

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TONGUE(S)

1) In the singular, a piece of fabric projecting from the fly of a flag – see schwenkel 2).
2) In the plural see tails (also swallowtail and tongue and triple-tailed 1)

 
Flag of the Partioheraldikot r.y., Finland; Flag of Breziny, Slovakia

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TONGUED

1) In vexillology see ‘tongue 1)’.
2) In heraldry see ‘langued’.

 
Flag of Oostrozebeke, Belgium; Flag of Ittre, Belgium; Flag of Casablanca 1968–1976, Morocco

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TOOTHED

In heraldry see ‘armed 2)’.

Flag of Appenzell, Switzerland

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TOOTHED WHEEL

See ‘cog-wheel’.

Flag of Industriequartier Zurich, Switzerland

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TOPPED

1) In vexillology a term that may be used to place the uppermost detail of a charge – for example when an orb and cross appear on the central point of a crown (see also charge 2), crown and and surmounted by 1)).

2) In heraldry see ensigned.

Royal Crown and National Arms of Spain

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TORSE

A heraldic wreath – see wreath 2).

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TORTEAU (TOURTEAU or TORTS)

The alternative heraldic terms for a red disc – a roundel gules (see also bezant, hurt, plates, pomme(s) and roundel 3))

Flag of Asendorf, Germany; Flag of Argentonnay, France; Flag of Sobreda, Portugal

Please note that in strict English heraldic usage this term should only be applied when the charge described in red (“gules”) – see ‘tinctures’.

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TORTURE WHEEL

See St. Catherine's wheel.

Arms and Flag of Arcas, Portugal

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TORUS

See ring 1).

Flag of Groß Twülpstedt, Germany

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TOUG

A term for the horsetail decorated standard, now obsolete, of certain regiments of French cavalry – the Spahis originally raised from North African tribesmen – a tugh (see also horsetail, standard 2) and tugh 1).

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TOURING FLAG (or BANNER)

The term – and a translation of the German Wanderfahne – for those flags (or more accurately banners) that were awarded to various non-military organizations for the best performance in the meeting or exceeding of production targets etc., by the former GDR and possibly other Communist bloc countries – but see ‘award flag’ (also ‘banner 3’ and ‘honour banner’).

Example: eBay

Please note that other translations of the term "Wanderfahne" have been proposed, but have not yet been adopted into English vexillology.

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TOWER TOWERED (or TURRETED)

The alternative heraldic terms used when a narrower tower or turret rises above the embattled top of another tower or turret, with the number of any such towers or turrets (if more than one) given – for example (as per two of the images shown below) a tower triple-towered – but see the following note (also ‘embattled’).

Flag of Hamburg, Germany; Flag of Torre de Dona Chama, Portugal; Flag of Kluczbork, Poland)

Please note that other variants might include a tower with a steeple or a tower domed (or with a cupola), with the example shown above being a tower triple towered with one domed.

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