Flags: Sri Lanka
For designing a flag, the North American Vexillological Association recommends a booklet by Ted Kaye called, Good Flag, Bad Flag. Based on it’s criteria, Czechoslovakia and Sri Lanka flags are very good. The following analysis uses Ted Kaye booklet for that assessment:
Keep It SimpleCzechoslovakia has the simplest flag, although there are others with the same pattern, but different colors – such as the flag of Palestine. Similarly, I like the Djibouti flag. It’s the same simple pattern, but with a star to distinguish it.Use Meaningful SymbolismThe flag with the most meaningful symbols is probably the Sri Lanka flag. The lion is the symbol of the Sinhalese – a major race of the island nation. The four bo leaves repesent the states of Budhism, which is part of their culture: benevolence, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. The large orange band represents the Tamils people, and the teal band is for the Moors or Muslims. The golden border is meant to represent all of the minority communities that surround the others and make the country whole.Use a Few Basic ColorsSingapore has only two colors, but I find its cluster of stars inside the crescent moon – which cannot exist – too cluttered. Czechoslovakia has only three colors. I like the colors of Djibouti, but they aren’t bold enough for the smoke and other visual obstructions during battle. Trinidad and Tabago use only three colors and their design is easily identifiable, but the pairing of black with maroon is unappealing.No Lettering or SealsThe flags of Bolivia, Costa Rica, Egypt, and Equatorial Guinea violate t his rule with their emblems. Maybe Malta too, but its emblem is minor – more like a decorative cross. Still, it would be difficult for a child to draw, which is part of Kaye criteria.Be Distinctive or Be RelatedOf all of these, the Sri Lanka flag is the most distinctive. I don’t know if it’s related to flags of any of its neighbors or other countries that are part of its history. You’d recognize the Sri Lanka flag even if it was hanging from a mast without the wind blowing.
Note
As I mentioned elsewhere, there are several album pages containing flags. Although maps can be neat, this flag series is boring – which was issued only from New York and not from Geneva or Vienna.. I’ve tried to make it interesting by doing a critique of some of the flags, pointing out which are well done and which aren’t very good.
Contains 16 spots: own 16 – 16 unused, 0 used.
Page is finished.
Album or Web Page Last changed Jun 11, 2025
Stamp Details
The table below lists information about the stamps shown on this page of Lighthouse’s stamp album. For more details about a particular stamp, click on its description. That will take you to the related web page of Colnect.
spot |
own |
catalog |
subject |
description |
comment |
Flag Series
✓ |
352 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
365 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
355 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
361 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
353 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
350 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
359 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
354 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
364 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
363 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
351 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
360 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
356 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
357 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
358 |
20c (sep 1981) |
|||
✓ |
362 |
20c (sep 1981) |
Footnotes
Spot refers to the postion of the stamp on the album page (e.g., 3.2 indicates row 3, position 2).
Amt. is an abbreviation for the face amount of the stamp.
Own indicates the stamp status: ✓ for unused; ✗ for used or canceled; ⭑ signifies I ordered one; ; ✨ indicates it was bought recently; ✠ means an auction bid is pending; and ◎ is used, and it costs too much for unused.
To search by catalog number, go to the search box and enter it in the catalog number box. However, it’s a bit broken; I need to fix it.
No Covers Found.