Antique Catholic Processional Banner Hand Stitched Silk Swallowtail Church Flag For Sale

# Antique Roman Catholic Processional Swallowtail Banner / Gonfalon
**Circa Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century — 100% Hand-Stitched Artisan Piece**Up for sale is a beautiful, highly collectible piece of ecclesiastical textile history. Banners of this specific design were traditionally carried by religious confraternities during parish processions, such as the Feast of Corpus Christi.## Key Features & Craftsmanship* **Artisan Construction:** Features magnificent early needlework craftsmanship. The central appliqué emblems, accent ribbons, and structural stitching are completely hand-sewn rather than machine-produced.
* **Eucharistic Iconography:** The front features a prominent central green circular medallion depicting the Sacred Chalice and Host radiating light.
* **Passion Symbology:** Directly below the chalice is a hand-worked Crown of Thorns resting over a large red Cross Patée background.
* **Original Hanging Hardware:** Includes the original turned wooden dowel rod, end finials, and braided suspension cord fully intact.## Condition ReportThis is a true antique textile with wonderful authentic character.* **Front:** Displays age-appropriate wear, surface darkening, light staining, and foxing to the cream panels. The central hand-stitched embroidered medallion remains structurally sound and vibrant.
* **Reverse:** The backing fabric is fully intact across the entire swallowtail length with no major structural tears or open seams, though it shows surface creasing and typical age-related dust from historical handling.## Provenance & Specifications* **Estimated Era:** Late 19th to early 20th century (1900s)
* **Country of Origin:** Italy / Western Europe (likely French or Italian Catholic)
* **Product Type:** Processional Banner / Church Flag / Gonfalon*Please review all high-resolution photos carefully as they form part of the physical description.*
## Professional Museum-Grade Packaging & ShippingTo preserve the delicate 100+ year-old silk fibers, this banner will NEVER be folded for transit. It will be packaged using professional museum-grade conservation methods to ensure it arrives in pristine condition:* **No Folds or Creases:** The textile will be laid completely flat, padded with acid-free tissue paper to protect the raised, hand-stitched embroidery, and gently rolled.
* **Structural Core Support:** It will be wound around a wide-diameter, heavy-duty postal core tube to prevent flattening, crushing, or bending in transit.
* **Moisture & Weather Barrier:** The entire rolled assembly will be safely sealed inside a waterproof polymer sleeve before being placed into a rigid, thick-walled outer mailing container.
* **Fully Tracked & Insured:** Shipped locally or worldwide with signature tracking and comprehensive insurance.