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Ensigns from the Ching Dynasty (China): Example 4

41. Miscellaneous arrangements

See also:

Ensigns from the Ching Dynasty (China): Index
Example 3 - Naval vessel
Example 5 - Provision Transport River Boat
China: Index of Pages

Note: You can click on the image of the flag for more information or a larger image. (only the Sea Goddess ensign is clickable)

image by Eugene Ipavec, 18 October 2006
Source: Ching Dynasty Naval and Civil Ensigns chart (1881)

Depicts a red penannt, red streamer and white ensign used as an accident sign in the center mast a red pennant, white streamer and white ensign used as a safety sign on the rear mast; five-striped ensign of Sea Goddess 天上聖母 at the fore.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 18 October 2006

The ship's bow is to the left; the correct masts' names on the depiction below are:

white ensign used as a safety sign on the foremast; five-striped ensign of Sea Goddess 天上聖母 at the mizzenmast.

A. Sedano, 24 Mar 2012

I found this photograph of a start of last century five-masted junk at digitallibrary.usc.edu. The junk has what looks like a tender in tow, hence, we can distinguish quite clearly between the fore and the aft of such a junk.
This allows us to see that in our image, the bow is to the right! The photograph has the bow slightly sharper, but I don't know whether our source had as well. The impression of the flags being fully visible gives the impression that we're seeing the "Flying Chinaman" here - an ancient junk cursed to forever sail the seas, that will always take it's course dead against the wind - but I guess that's done to make them as visible as possible.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 25 Mar 2012 & 10 April 2015