Hohenstaufen 1152-1268

Just finished painting and basing the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. As the Banners show this element can stand for any Hohenstaufen-General:

Frederic I Barbarossa 1152-1190
Henry VI 1190-1197
Philipp II of Swabia 1197-1208
Frederic II 1211-1250
Conrad IV 1250-1254
Manfred 1254-1266
Conradin 1266-1268

The gonfanon with the three black lions on gold is the coat-of-arms of the Hohenstaufen as dukes of Swabia. The single-headed eagle was introduced as an empirial device in the last years of the reign of Barbarossa. The tinctures black and gold became commonly used around the middle of the 13th century.

Henry VI besieging Napoli in 1191 (Petrus de Ebulo).

Actually Manfred and Conradin weren't Emperors. But I drilled a hole through the hand of the eagle-standard-bearer so I can easly pull the staff out and swap it with another banner for instance the coat of arms of Jerusalem. Frederic II held the Kingship of Jerusalem in the 1220ies but lost it in his quarrels with the Pope. Konradin usurped the title but nobody else believed him...damn!