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# Dictionary of Vexillology: I (Iberian Cross – Imperial War Ensign)

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Last modified: 2026-05-16 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

- IBERIAN CROSS
- IBERIAN (or IBERIAN-STYLE/TYPE) SHIELD
- IDEOGRAM
- IMPALE (or IMPALED)
- IMPALE(D) BY DIMIDIATION
- IMPENDING
- IMPERIAL ARMS
- IMPERIAL BROAD PENNANT
- IMPERIAL DRAGON FLAG
- IMPERIAL EMBLEM
- IMPERIAL FLAG
- IMPERIAL STANDARD
- IMPERIAL WAR ENSIGN (or IMPERIAL WAR FLAG)

IBERIAN CROSS
  See cross of calatrava.

  Flag of Puebla de Don Rodrigo, Spain

IBERIAN (or IBERIAN-STYLE/TYPE) SHIELD
  The terms that are sometimes used in place of Spanish or Spanish-style to describe a round bottomed shield – particularly when the arms/flag in question are not Spanish – see Spanish style shield.

  Flag of Stendal County, Germany; Flag of Ascurra, Brazil; Flag of Lenzen/Elbtalaue Subcounty, Germany

IDEOGRAM
  See mon 1) and its following note.

  Flag of Ichikawa, Japan

IMPALE (or IMPALED)
  1) (v) In heraldry a term for the marshalling of (or having earlier marshalled) two sets of arms side-by-side on a shield or banner of arms to indicate marriage or alliance – empale (see also coat of arms 2), dimidiated, entire 1), escutcheon of pretence 2), point-in-point, quarter the arms and quartering 1))
  2) (v) On flags as above, but the images placed on a flag need not be arms as defined herein.
  3) A term sometimes incorrectly used in place of transfixed.

  Command Flag of a General at Sea c1650, England; Flag of Lauenen, Switzerland; Banner of the Arms of The Orkneys, UK

IMPALE(D) BY DIMIDIATION
  In heraldry see dimidiated and following note (also impale 1)).

  Flag of Lehe, Germany; Flag of Våler, Norway; Flag of Kornowac, Poland

IMPENDING
  A term sometimes used in blazoning to describe a charge which is apparently suspended without support – a term (as far as can be discovered) not known in English heraldry (see also floatant).

  Flag of Hennigsdorf, Germany; Arms of Vale de Asnes, Portugal; Flag of Atalaia, Portugal

IMPERIAL ARMS
  The arms that represent an empire and its ruler – a type now entirely obsolete – but see imperial emblem (also imperial standard 1) and royal arms).

  Imperial Arms, Brazil 1822–1889; Flag with Imperial Arms, Mexico 1864–1867; Lesser Imperial Arms, Austria 1915–1918

IMPERIAL BROAD PENNANT
  See broad pennant 4).

  Tsar’s Broad Pennant until 1917, Russia

IMPERIAL DRAGON FLAG
  The term for one of several varying designs of flag used in Imperial China up to 1912 – see wingless dragon (also dragon).

  Chinese Imperial Dragon Flags c1895 (fotw and Ben Cahoon)

IMPERIAL EMBLEM
  That emblem, now increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete, which represents an emperor – see imperial arms (also imperial standard(s) 1), mon 2) and royal standard(s)).

  Imperial Emblem (mon), Japan (Wikipedia); Imperial Flag and Emblem 1934–1945, Manchukuo (fotw & Wikimedia)

IMPERIAL FLAG
  1) See imperial standard 1) and imperial standard 2).
  2) In the plural and in increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete usage, a general heading under which all the flags, standards and banners relating to an emperor, or to the imperial family of any particular country or countries are listed (see also royal flag 2)).

  Standard of HIH The Crown Prince 1872–1919, Germany; Standard of HIM The Empress 1894–1917, Austria-Hungary; Standard of HIM The Empress, Japan

IMPERIAL STANDARD
  1) That flag, now increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete, which signifies the presence and/or authority of an emperor (see also imperial flag 2), mon 2) and royal standard)
  2) In the plural and in increasingly (but not entirely) obsolete usage, a term sometimes applied to the flags flown by other members of an imperial family – the empress’s, crown prince’s/prince imperial’s standard etc.

  Imperial Standard for Use Ashore 1858–1917, Russia; Imperial Standard 1890–1918, Germany; Imperial Standard, Japan

IMPERIAL WAR ENSIGN (or IMPERIAL WAR FLAG)
  Direct translations of the German term Kaiserliche Kriegsflagge, and referring to the war ensigns in use from 1871–1919 – see war flag 1) and war flag 2) (also state war flag, reichskriegsflagge).

  Kaiserliche Kriegsflaggen/Imperial War Ensigns of Germany 1871–1892, 1892–1903, 1903–1919

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