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National Flag with Osborne's Bull (Spain)

both images by José Carlos Alegría, 14 Sep 2002

Description

See also:

Variants of the National Flag (Spain)
Spain

Description

I have seen this flag at public demonstrations supporting bullfighting, at the Sydney Olympics and in stickers. It shows a plain Spanish flag with the black shape of Osborne's bull. I think that production of these flags is very casual and in cases almost home-made, because the sizes of the bull and the proportions are variable.

Osborne's bull was a commercial trade mark of Osborne (producers of sherry and other spirits) but the wide presence of [huge advertisements showing] the bull all across Spanish roads made it a very popular symbol in the Spanish countryside. When traffic regulations forbade roadside advertisements there was a popular movement in order to permit Osborne's bull to remain in our landscapes. The final resolution was that the bulls could remain but with no words (Osborne) on them.

Santiago Tazón, 26 Sep 2000

The Spanish flag with the black Osborne bull is increasingly becoming a supporters' flag at all sort of sporting events. (...) Most surprising was a picture of Spanish Foreign Legion soldiers folding one of these flags, as they were preparing to leave Parsley (Perejil) Island after the 2002 events there.

José Carlos Alegría, 06 Aug 2002

The Spanish flag with a black bull on the center can be seen often at sporting events. The bull is the logo of Osborne, Spanish makers of sherry, brandy and port. The company was founded 1772 by a British immigrant, Thomas Osborne Mann. The bull logo became famous in Spain because of huge roadside advertisements showing a black bull silhouette. The size of the bull in the flag is of varying sizes.

José Carlos Alegría, 14 Sep 2002

The OSBORNE bull, in black or green, is found upon Spanish colours in Andalucia. This bull is however not necessarily associated with OSBORNE, but is a symbol of hispanidad or "spanishness." The inscriptions on the bulls, guarding Spanish highways, have been taken away.

Klaus-Michael Schneider, 21 Jun 2009

I have seen these for sale everywhere in Spain, except maybe in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 22 Jun 2009