Description of the Maryland State Tartan The Maryland tartan is based on the design of the Maryland state flag. According to the Secretary of State, “The Maryland flag has been described as the perfect state flag — bold colors, interesting patterns, and correct heraldry—a flag that fairly shouts ‘Maryland.’” The Maryland tartan is also bold and it shouts “Maryland” as well. According to Maryland state law, “The Maryland flag is divided into four quarters. The first and fourth quarters consist of six vertical bars alternately yellow (representing gold) and black with a diagonal band on which the colors are reversed. The yellow and black quarters represent the family arms of the first proprietor of Maryland, George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore.” In the tartan the Baltimore arms are represented by seven stripes alternating black and yellow with the center yellow stripe as the pivot point. Seven stripes are necessary to make a reflective set and the black stripe is first and last to reflect the fact that the black diamond on the Maryland flag is uppermost. In the Maryland flag “the second and third quarters consist of a quartered field of red and white (representing silver) bearing a Greek cross with arms terminating in trefoils. The colors in the second and third quarters alternate, with red on the white ground and white on the red. The red and white quarters display the arms of Lord Baltimore's maternal family, the Crosslands.” In the tartan the Crossland arms are represented by a wide red stripe, a narrow white stripe, a narrow red stripe, and a wide white stripe at the repeating point. Placing the wide red stripe next to the black and the wide white stripe at the pivot point maintains a reflecting sett with the resulting tartan being arisaid but not dominated by white.