What object is centered on the civil flag of Barbados?

The object centered on the civil flag of Barbados is a trident.

More precisely, the flag displays a black trident head in the middle of its gold vertical band. The trident is associated with Neptune or Poseidon, the mythological god of the sea, and recalls the trident shown on Barbados’s former colonial badge.

Its missing lower shaft gives the national flag its familiar nickname, the “Broken Trident.” That break symbolizes Barbados severing its colonial ties when it became independent from the United Kingdom on 30 November 1966. The three points also represent government of, for, and by the people.

The gold band represents the island’s sand, while the ultramarine bands symbolize the sea and sky. A crown, anchor, or ordinary spear may seem plausible, but none is the central emblem of the Barbadian national flag.