Jose Tomas bullfighting Banderillas

The "banderillas" are thin sticks, adorned with paper of different colors, usually of the colour of the flags of a spanish province or Spain with an iron at one end, which are used in the third part of bullfights.

They are used to help the bull to run and get more strength, after the hardness of the picador. This is a remains of old bullfighting festivals, where were used similar items.

Before, the banderillas were placed one by one and not in a par, as they are today. The great bullfighter Pepe-Hillo already mentioned in the late eighteenth century that it was a great merit to place them in pairs.

Normally, they are the "banderilleros" who performed this task during bullfights. However, some "matadores" also performed it exceptionally.