Flag of one of the three divisions of the Khalifa's bodyguard, the Khalifa (Mahdi) - Muhammad Ahmad Abdullah al-Taashi. Captured at Omdurman by Commander Colin Keppel on 2 September 1898.
A rectangular flag of watered silk taffeta, originally a pale green colour, appliquéd with four crescent moons and an arabic inscription which appears to read: 'On a beautiful night'. The flag is made of two widths of silk fabric with an oversewn horizontal central seam. It is hand sewn throughout. The design is in yellow watered silk the outlines edged in a twisted green and yellow silk embroidery thread. The fly end is finished with a heavy fringe of silk with a woven gimp heading of silk and metal thread. The flag is attached to a leather-covered pole, finished at the top with a horse tail, a gilt copper ball embossed with flowers and calligraphy, above an elaborate pierced finial decorated a six-pointed star. The finial has been badly bent - possibly during the action. The flag is single-sided and unlined. The pole is on the right side. A label is tied around the pole with metal wire. It reads:
‘OMDURMAN CAMPAIGN FLAG 1898. THIS FLAG WAS THE SYMBOL OF ONE OF THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE KHALIFA'S BODYGUARD. IT WAS CAPTURED FROM THE DERVISHES AT OMDURMAN BY COMMANDER COLIN KEPPEL, AFTERWARDS ADMIRAL SIR COLIN KEPPEL K.C.I.E K.C.V.O C.B D.S.O’