16th-century statue of Our Lady restored

An old statue of the Madonna taċ-Ċintura has been restored after an intervention drawn out over 12 months.

The statue was restored by Pierre Bugeja, managing director of PrevARTI, for the Augustinian Brothers of the church of St Mark in Rabat and the restoration work was paid for by benefactors.

The sculpture, which was found in the convent of the Augustinian Brothers, is made of wood and papier maché and was shaped around an unidentified internal structure.

The wooden components, namely the head, hands and feet of the Madonna, are the oldest parts of the statue, dating back to the 16th century.

The original devotional statue would have been dressed and draped with real cloth and vestments.

The papier maché torso and body were constructed at a later date and were sequently painted and gilded. Before restoration the statue was in a very bad state of repair.

The major problems noted on the statue were flaking, delaminating of the paint layer and insect attack. In addition, the (shellac) varnish created a yellowing and darkening of the Madonna's skin tones.

The presence of other paint layers was also discovered, suggesting previous interventions.

The statue was presented to the public yesterday, during a short ceremony led by the prior of the Augustinian community, Fr Josef Sciberras, and Mr Bugeja. The statue was blessed by Fr Ambrogio Delia.