Star-Spangled Banner Tartan—THE PAST

A Weave of Memory

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The Star-Spangled Banner (Flag of 1814) tartan — PAST Edition — was proudly created by Steven Patrick Sim, The Tartan Artisan® of Arbroath, Scotland, as a commemorative counterpart to the vibrant design officially registered in 2021.

While both editions share the same historic sett, the PAST Edition is rendered in muted, time-worn shades, echoing the aged beauty of the flag preserved by the Smithsonian. In doing so, it honours two enduring symbols: the time-worn banner of 1814 and the national anthem of the United States, born beneath its stars and stripes.

This tartan reaches back to 1814 and the anthem’s origins, while looking forward with quiet reverence to America’s approaching 250th anniversary.

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Tartan Registration Number (Official Registration of the PRESENT colorway): #13214

 

 

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My Inspiration

The idea for a tartan to commemorate the Star-Spangled Banner took root in 2014 when I was inspired to create the Declaration of Scottish Independence tartan — in the run up to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. That design would come to honor Scotland’s flags and its historic 1320 Declaration of Arbroath — a document of freedom that continues to echo across the centuries.

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It was at that point I began to imagine a tartan for the United States. A tartan that could honor the Stars and Stripes, carry the echoes of battle, and embody the ideals of liberty. The PAST Edition takes that vision and turns it into a geometry of muted tones, softened colors, and a weave that feels as though it has aged along with the history it remembers.

 

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Threads of the Historic Banner

The palette mirrors the passing of centuries
— recalling the flag as it appears today — weathered by more than two centuries of endurance:

• Ember Red — courage and valor that burn on through time

• Scarlet fading to orange embers — the heat of the anthem’s “rockets’ red glare,” now aged by memory

• Mellow Ivory — purity of ideals tested yet unbroken

• Smoky Blue — perseverance under strain, vigilance in the shadows of history
  
  

Across the Sett:

• 15 RED AND 15 BLUE THREADS — recall the fifteen stars and stripes of the 1814 Great Garrison Flag
  
  
• 13-COUNT BROAD EMBER AND IVORY STRIPES — honor the original thirteen colonies
  
  
• 50 SMOKY THREADS — look forward to the modern Union of fifty states

 

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Anthem Origins Woven In

The design captures the birth of the anthem, entwining its spirit in the historic color palette:

• Reds and fiery oranges evoke the bombardment of Fort McHenry

• Smoky blues whisper the quiet dawn that followed the night’s fierce trial

• Dynamic intersections recall shells bursting in the night, proof the flag endured

 

“The star is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.”

 

 

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Hidden Symbolism

At the intersections of broad stripes lie four subtle white squares — a quiet nod to the four cornerstones of the White House, and the enduring mystery of the original cornerstone laid in 1792, now lost to history.

This silent emblem carries forward a powerful reminder: the Constitution’s resilience through time, and the People’s House standing strong as a beacon of unity and democracy, standing strong through time.

 

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Smithsonian Connection

The tartan’s name and authenticity are tied to the Star-Spangled Banner flag held by the Smithsonian Institution:

• 20 RED THREADS mark the year 2020 when permission was first sought to use the name

• Approval was granted April 22nd, 2021

• Registration was completed July 4th, 2021

This anchors the design to a preserved American treasure.

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Permission was granted solely for registration; no endorsement by the Smithsonian Institution is implied.

 

 

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Smithsonian Permission and Registrations

• Conception date: September 14, 2014

• Permission granted by Smithsonian in 2020 to register the tartan name

• Twenty red threads mark this milestone

• Official registration: July 4, 2021

• Tartan registration #: #13214

• UK Registered Designs: #6104320 (Color), #6147549 (Pattern)

• USPTO Patent Pending: #29/800,256

• Registered Trademark: #UK00003667073

 

 

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A Summary of the Rationale

 

DESIGN INSPIRATION AND HERITAGE

• Tribute to the 1814 flag that inspired the National Anthem of the United States of America — companion to the PRESENT Edition

• Registered on July 4, 2021 — five years ahead of the Semiquincentennial — anticipating America’s milestone anniversary.

• Connects American endurance with Scotland’s ideals of liberty
  
  

SYMBOLISM OF COLORS

• Ember Red: Enduring courage

• Scarlet/Orange: Energy of battle aged by time

• Mellow Ivory: Purity under trial

• Smoky Blue: Vigilance and perseverance
  
  

THREAD COUNTS AND SETT STRUCTURE

• 15 red and 15 blue threads = 1814 Great Garrison Flag

• 13 broad stripes = original colonies

• 50 smoky threads = modern fifty states

• Intersections = drama of the anthem’s night
  
  

HIDDEN SYMBOLISM

• Four white squares recall the cornerstones of the White House, and the strength of the U.S. Constitution

 

 

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Collectible Fine Art Print Offer

The PAST Edition Star-Spangled Banner Tartan is available as a collectible fine art print — a tribute to the banner that endured.

• FRAMED: Museum-grade archival paper in an oak-finished frame

• UNFRAMED: Rolled and shipped in protective archival tubes

• Offered in both collector and standard sizes
  
  

A meaningful keepsake or gift — a lasting homage to America’s enduring spirit.

By choosing this limited edition print, you not only commemorate America’s milestone anniversary, but also support the ongoing potential to weave this historic tartan as an authentic cloth for generations to come.

 

LEARN MORE about the Tartan250 fine art print —
Link at the bottom of this page...

 

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The Past — A Story Woven in Time

At dawn on September 14th, 1814, smoke drifted above Fort McHenry. The flag that survived the bombardment was worn and heavy, but still visible through the haze — a declaration to a young nation: we endure.

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That flag sparked a song. Francis Scott Key, witnessing the fight, found proof in that banner that the nation lived on. His words became an anthem, and the flag became the Star-Spangled Banner.

The Past Edition of this tartan carries that moment forward. Ember reds like the last glow of battle fires, mellow ivory for ideals that would not break, smoky blues for perseverance at dawn.

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ITS WEAVE REMEMBERS:

• Fifteen stars and stripes of the garrison flag
• Thirteen colonies that declared independence
• Fifty states that would rise in time
  
  

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The Star-Spangled Banner (Flag of 1814) tartan is far more than a plaid — it is a living memory, woven with the fiery trails of rockets streaking through the night sky, the smoky breath of dawn, and the steadfast endurance of a people stitched timelessly into the fabric of history.

The four white squares echo the enduring mystery of the White House cornerstone and symbolize the unwavering Constitution that holds America together. Linked to the Smithsonian’s cherished flag, this tartan stands as a bridge — from the anthem’s fiery birth to the present day — carrying America’s hope ever forward.

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The Past Edition Star-Spangled Banner tartan is a woven tribute to resilience, sacrifice, and the unbroken hope that shapes America’s story.

 

 

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Learn More—
Claim Your Fine Art Print:

PAST Edition — Fine Art Limited Edition Collectible Print

 

 

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The Story Continues—
In Today's Vibrant Modern Shades:

Read the rationale for the — PRESENT Edition — Todays modern Star-Spangled Banner