Old Hand-held Double-Side Metal Signal Flag, Presumed Railroad old chess board with no holes or stains

with no holes or stains that I can see

the cut out beads of the necklace

which seems perhaps to roll in some Native American influences too

one tear at lower left

Old Hand-held Double-Side Metal Signal Flag, Presumed Railroad old chess board with no holes or stainsI am pretty certain this old painted metal flag on wooden post would have been used as a hand held railroad signal flag, with the black and white meaning stop, the yellow meaning caution, and the fishtail shape distinguishing it as a "distant signal," providing advance warning of stop or caution ahead. It seems to be quite a rare one I can really find no equivalent examples out there and I think just terrific looking, on both sides, with the creamy