Fanté flags are from the West African country of Guana and their style varies according to the region from which they derive. Those with a Union Jack represent the period when Britain governed the country.

The flag was required for display in the new exhibition Breaking The Chains - The Fight to End Slavery, at the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, Bristol, to acknowledge the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

The flag is constructed from cotton fabric. The applied narrative is applied on both sides. The red ground fabric has numerous holes and distortions, particularly on the right edge.

Treatment Process
	Detail of the left side of the flag showing the poor condition of the red ground fabric.
	On the bottom edge, a repair has distorted the fabric.
	The aim of the conservation treatment was to enable the flag to be safely and pleasingly displayed. Therefore, distortions in the weave were treated with localised humidification prior to being consolidated with stitched support treatment.
	Following conservation, the Fanté flag was mounted onto a prepared padded board and encased in a glazed frame.

This treatment is documented with kind permission of the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum.

© Textile Conservancy 2010  Website & Design by Puffin Creative