We are raising money to conserve and display the ensign of Le Généreux, an extraordinary object held in public trust by Norfolk Museums Service.

The ensign is a remarkable survivor from the days of sea battles when national flags on warships played a vital role. It is 16 metres long and just over 8 metres high, and would have been flown at the rear of the ship as a battle ensign. Its vast size - similar in scale to a tennis court - was necessary to allow the nationality of the ship to be identified at distance and in the smoke and confusion of close battle.

The act of 'striking' - or lowering - an ensign indicates surrender when faced with overwhelming odds. This particular ensign was presented as a gift to the city of Norwich in 1800, after Le Genéréux was captured near Malta by a squadron commanded by Admiral Lord Nelson. The gift, however, did not come from Nelson himself but from his flag captain Sir Edward Berry. Berry was also a Norfolk man, and the flag was a gift to the Corporation of Norwich in gratitude for the Freedom of the City he had been awarded the previous year.

Due to its size and fragility, the flag has not been displayed in over a century. This summer, the exhibition Nelson & Norfolk at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery will allow visitors the unique opportunity to experience the ensign displayed at full scale, along with a vast collection of other Nelson-related material.

Following the exhibition your kind donations will go towards continuing the conservation work that has already taken place, helping to preserve it for future generations. The money raised will also contribute towards a storage crate for the ensign which will allow it to be easily transported and viewed without the need for it to be fully unrolled.

Nelson and Norfolk will run at Norwich Castle from 29 July–01 Oct 2017