S - Malta Tourism Authority

Traditional Maltese
ARTS & CRAFTS
2016
CALENDAR
2016
Traditional Maltese Crafts have undergone a strong revival in recent
years. This is not solely due to their appeal as authentic souvenirs
but also because of their high cultural value to these Islands. These
different crafts have a long history linking them to the various
periods of the history of the Maltese Islands.
Craft forms, such as weaving and pottery, date back to prehistoric
times. The ‘Sleeping Lady’ found in the Hypogeum is a terracotta
figurine of exquisite workmanship. At the Tarxien Temples,
archaeologists also found fragments of red-dyed, flax textiles. These
fabrics showed that the prehistoric islanders had considerable skills
in weaving. Skills such as those of the potter and the basket-maker
had a mostly functional rather than decorative purpose.
Embroidery and lace-making were encouraged, often by the
Church. Life in Gozo and much of rural Malta was relatively harsh
and craft industries became a main source of supplementary income
Traditional Maltese
ARTS & CRAFTS
for rural families. Such was the workmanship of these textiles during
the 17th century, that various Grand Masters prohibited the wearing
of embroidered and fancy garments considering them frivolous and
out of keeping with the Order’s religious calling.
A craft that really flourished under the Knights of St. John was
that of work in gold and silver. To this day, Malta’s most precious
craft production continues to consist of the gilder’s work and silver
filigree jewelry.
This calendar features a selection of crafts which are very much alive
and in practical use in contemporary Malta. Crafts which provide
the important link with past generations and lifestyles and the need
to relate to historical traditions as we seek to increasingly project
those aspects which distinguish us from other tourism destinations
and which make a visit to these islands such a unique experience.
Photography from the MTA collection. All rights reserved.
Cover Photo
Ganutell. Joan Agius | Żejtun
Ganutell is the Maltese art form of making artificial flowers from
wire, thread and beads. This craft was particularly popular during
the 18th and 19th Century when groups of nuns at convents used
to produce intricate and beautiful creations.
During the time of the Knights of St John, many nuns and monks
were commissioned to produce mounts to be given as gifts to Popes
and other Royals.
Due to the complex techniques being passed down from one
generation to the next by word of mouth, it seemed that the craft
was destined to be forgotten. However, the late nineties brought
around the sudden revival of the Ganutell.
Currently, Ganutell flowers are being used to make head dresses for
weddings, Holy Communion dresses and other special occasions.
Joan is one the very few artists still working on this craft in her
hometown in Żejtun.
Concept developed by Jimmy Attard MTA Senior Manager PR & Communications.
Special thanks to: Ms Joan Agius Chairperson Għaqda Folklor, Storja, Arti u Artiġġ janat taż-Żejtun
Mr Leslie Vella MTA Chief Officer Strategic Development and Deputy to the CEO.
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The Maltese Clock - Gilder. Arthur Vassallo | Rabat
JANUARY 2016
The gilder’s art has been practised in Malta for a prolonged
period of time, with the peak being in the 17th and 18th
centuries during the period of the Knights Hospitaller of
St. John. This was Malta’s golden age where the gilder’s art
could find plenty of opportunity to express itself, through
the numerous palaces, noble houses and churches.
Nowadays, apart from the continuous restoration work
carried out in Malta’s churches, Arthur’s gilder’s skills also
lives on through its prime exponent, the Maltese Clock.
Originally, the clock was made of wood, which was
suitable to take on several layers of gypsum, which was
then engraved and decorated with gold. The most
popular version of the Maltese clock was the wall hanging
one. The Maltese Clock tradition continues till this day
with Maltese Clock reproductions using the same
original manner and using the same technique.
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Glass Blowing | Mdina Glass
FEBRUARY 2016
From raw materials, molten glass is created and mouth
blown by skilled glassmakers using blowpipes. The
glassblowers also use their hands and basic tools to shape
the molten glass into a vase, bowl or any other item they
want. This form of glassmaking is an ancient craft, believed
to date back to approximately the last century B.C.
Even though glassware was present on the islands during
the Phoenician times, glass blowing is a relatively new craft
to the islands, with glass production commencing in the
second half of the 20th Century. Mdina Glass, Malta’s
first glass factory way back in 1968 , has endeavoured to
establish and maintain a reputation for artistic innovation,
quality and consistency in each and every individual
piece of glassware produced by its artisans. Through
glassblowing, a variety of goods can be made, such as
vases, bowls, plates, jugs and many others.
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Roman Soldier’s armour for Good Friday processions. Spiru Buttigieg | Żejtun
MARCH 2016
All Roman soldiers wore a uniform and armour to
protect them against being wounded in battle.
Spiru Buttigieg specializes in the production of the
Roman soldier’s armour for Good Friday
processions and also for the Filming Industry.
The body armour is made from overlapping iron strips.
These metal strips were fastened with hooks and
laces at the front and hinged at the back.
These were held together by vertical leather strips
on the inside that enabled the soldier to be well
protected and also be flexible enough to allow him to
bend. The armour was strengthened by front
and back plates below the neck, whilst the
shoulders were protected by a pair of curved pieces.
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Statues modelled in plaster. Nenu Delia | Żejtun
APRIL 2016
Village feasts are one of the islands’ most visual
and popular cultural festivities, where a large
number of parishes celebrate the feast
of their respective patron saints.
Processions with the iconic statue meander
through village streets which will be decorated with
lights, bunting and beautiful banners- ‘pavaljuni’, while
being accompanied by bands and devoted locals.
Hence this is exactly where Nenu comes in with
his skills in crafting statues modelled in plaster. He
is inundated by requests for mini-statues of the
respective patron saint from several parishes and
also the villagers who make sure that their homes are
looking at their very best for this special occasion.
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Cane Work. John Mifsud | Hamrun
MAY 2016
Cane work, or wicker, has been around for an
extremely long time, with it being documented as
far back as ancient Egypt. In fact a number of wicker
items were discovered in tombs of wealthy pharaohs,
including chests, baskets and chairs.
Cane and wicker work in Malta is popular in the
fishing and agriculture industry, as well as in
households. This craft is most popular in households
and in agriculture through the traditional Maltese
basket, known as an ‘qoffa’. John has been weaving
cane shopping baskets since he was six.
The fishing industry also makes use of cane work, in
particular through fishing traps, which were made
from a fine reed-like material.
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Sharpener. Salvu Azzopardi | Valletta
JUNE 2016
Salvu s-Sennien has been sharpening knives ever
since he was a teenager.
Salvu and his store, located in St Paul’s Street in
Valletta, is in itself a reminder of times gone by
and is one of the remaining tradesman in this line
sharpening blades for his clients.
Cave-like in appearance, the work space tells its own
story with knives hanging in display cases and
tools lined up next to each other on green shelves
hung on the wall.
However, before he calls it a day, Salvu’s music of
blade sharpening will continue to be heard in St Paul’s
Street, and will continue to form part of the sounds
and liveliness of our bustling capital city.
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Bizzilla- Maltese Lace. Jennifer Farrugia and Silvana Libreri | Żejtun.
JULY 2016
Lacemaking in Malta and Gozo trace their origins back to
the 16th Century. Modern Maltese lace is derived directly
from Genoese lace, however Maltese lace developed its
own characteristics to distinguish itself from traditional
Genoese lace.
There are a number of recognizable traits of Maltese lace,
namely the creamy, honey coloured Spanish silk from
which it is made, the 8 pointed cross that is worked in to
the majority of this lace, and finally leaves known
as ‘wheat ears’.
Maltese lace is still very popular, with a number of tourists
that visit the Islands taking home some lace work as a
souvenir. Maltese lace, due to its prestige, is often given to
high ranking dignitaries by their Maltese counterparts.
Silvana and Jennifer still practice this interesting trade in
the historical surroundings of a Żejtun chapel.
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Weaving. Antoine Vella | Rabat
AUGUST 2016
Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man, with
its origin and development closely tied to the history of
mankind. The need to keep warm, urged ancestors to
weave some type of cloth.
Maltese cloth always received worldwide recognition, in
fact in 70 B.C. Roman senator Cicero makes
reference to Maltese cloth being stolen.
The weaving industry in Malta was thriving till it
experienced a steep decline in the second half of the
20th Century.
Currently, very few weavers still operate on traditional
hand looms, and it is down to weavers such as
Antoine that the natural death of this traditional
craft has been prevented so far.
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Pottery. Anthony Borg | Rabat
SEPTEMBER 2016
Pottery is amongst the most ancient of Maltese crafts,
with pieces dating back to the Megalithic period,
such as ‘The Sleeping Lady’, which was found at the
Hypogeum.
Pottery throughout the ages has passed through a
number of different phases, starting with the Għar
Dalam phase, and proceeded through the Grey Skorba,
Red Skorba, Żebbuġ, Ġgantija, Saflieni, Tarxien, Bronze,
Iron phases, ending with the Borġ in-Nadur phase.
Potters use both hands while moulding a piece, one
hand will be shaping the inside of the piece while the
other hand shapes the outside.
Anthony is still mastering the skills of this
trade in his Rabat workshop.
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Silver Filigree. Karmenu Deguara | Żejtun
OCTOBER 2016
Filigree is the art of jewellery that involves the use
of fine threads of gold or silver, woven together to
create designs. Filigree is mostly valuable thanks to
the artisan’s skill rather than the actual material used.
Filigree making has been passed down through the
generations, from fathers to sons, which provided an
income to several families over the years.
Filigree in Malta dates back to the Phoenicians,
however, local artisans have added their own
touches over time, with the most prominent being
the eight pointed cross, which is found is a
variety of silver filigree work.
Karmenu is one of the very few artists still working
in this trade at his workshop in Żejtun.
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Limestone Sculpture. Lawrence Borg for the Limestone Heritage | Siġġiewi
NOVEMBER 2016
Stone – Malta’s only natural resource. Since being
discovered by civilization, stone has been used to build
some of Malta’s iconic buildings, such as the temples,
churches and typical Maltese houses amongst others.
The Maltese Islands have all kinds of stones quarried
from various sites: soft franka, that is soft globigerina
limestone, fine building stone, the real franka, free
from impurities, hard upper and lower coralline
limestone, the latter being used for monuments.
The Limestone Heritage, Park and Gardens offers
visitors a fascinating insight into the past and present
treasures of an ancient culture set in stone.
Mr. Lawrence Borg is here seen working on a
replica of the famous ‘squatting lady’.
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The Maltese Christmas Crib. Emmanuel Vella | Żejtun
DECEMBER 2016
The first recorded Maltese crib dates back to the 17th
Century, with these being heavily influenced by the
Sicilians. In Malta, there are two main types of cribs, one
in the shape of a grotto, and the other being a traditional
large crib. Several local crib specialists started molding small
clay figures and hand painted the face, hands and clothes.
They were very rough and easily broken, so they started
using plaster molds with local earth clay, and pressed to
produce figurines. The crib has become part of the Islands’
traditions, with great pride shown, with the whole family
decorating the crib and showing it to all those that visited
their house during the festive season. Emmanuel is one of
the cribs specialists who have kept this tradition alive.
Till this day, numerous crib exhibitions take place all
around the Islands during the Christmas period,
with a variety of cribs on show.
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