Maltese lace
The Order of St John brought lace to Malta in 1640. It carried on until the end of the 18th century, when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the Maltese islands, and after that lace making almost died out.
In the 19th century a clergyman gave a piece of lace to a Gozitan woman, who studied the pattern and set about reproducing it. The craft caught on again among Gozitan women and girls, and with the clergy, who used lace to decorate church vestments and furnishings.
Maltese lace, or “Il-Bizzilla”, is mainly a Gozo art. The local speciality is bobbin lace. It has been passed down from one generation to the next, and you can still learn it in lace-making clubs today. Malta’s lace is some of the most beautiful in the world. Each piece is made by hand: fine tablecloths, decorative embroidery, curtains. You will often spot the Maltese cross worked into the design.
You can buy these pieces in markets across Malta.
Blown glass
Glass-blowing arrived in Malta in 1968, when Mdina Glass was founded.
It is a very old technique, used to make vases, bowls, lamps, bottles, plates and more, in every colour you can think of.
The best known workshops are Mdina Glass in the village of Ta’Qali in Malta, and Gozo Glass in the village of Ta Dbiegi in Gozo.
Maltese filigree
Filigree is a delicate craft. You work with gold or silver threads and twist them into a pattern.
The art has been around since the Phoenician period, and it really developed under the rule of the knights of the Order of Malta.
The more intricate the design, the more valuable the jewel. It takes a fine hand, and the skill of the craftsmen who do it is recognised around the world.
Maltese clocks
The Maltese clock is thought to date back to the late 17th century, though no one is quite sure where it first came from. It was meant to be both useful and decorative, and you would find one in the homes of wealthy clerics and the upper classes. They were also hung in church sacristies and in the halls and corridors of grand palaces and inns.
Over time, both the wooden case and the workings inside it changed in various ways.
Three craftsmen make the finished clock between them. The clockmaker builds the mechanism, the carpenter makes the wooden case, and the gilder-painter handles the production and all the finishing touches.
