Today sees the opening of the eagerly anticipated Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti exhibition. The exhibition, which was designed in-house by the foundation’s CEO Michael Lowell, is all about the history of jewellery in Malta. It features a spectacular collection of well over 500 pieces of jewellery, loaned mostly from church and private collections.
Years of research needed to be undertaken to discover the many precious and historic pieces secreted away in private homes
Many of the pieces have not been seen in public for years, if not decades, their owners not able to wear them either out of security concerns or because there simply was no occasion special enough to warrant the wearing of these historic pieces.
Three years after the fabulous Edward Caruana Dingli exhibition which it put up in 2010, the foundation continues with its series of exhibitions with Vanity, Profanity and Worship: Jewellery from the Maltese Islands.
Years of work were put into the drawing up of an exhibition of this calibre. As this was a relatively new area to be explored, with very few specialists and specialised studies existed, years of research needed to be undertaken to uncover the evolution of this art in the Maltese islands and to discover the many precious and historic pieces secreted away in private homes.
The resulting exhibition takes in a vast sweep of time, representing jewellery from different periods all the way up to contemporary times. The earliest pieces of jewellery on display are from the Neolithic period, making jewellery one of the earliest arts practised on the Maltese islands.
Set against the elegant backdrop of the Casino Maltese, this exhibition presents a double treat: Jewellery that is rarely seen in public displayed in a historic building that was, until recently, open only to its members. Seeing the jewellery displayed against this backdrop evokes memories of balls and glittering events that occurred here in times gone by.
The thrust of the exhibition is mainly to show how jewellery as an art reflected the period it existed in. Thus, in keeping with parallel jewellery studies abroad, not only is Maltese jewellery represented but also jewellery that was brought to Malta from abroad and that became very much part of the Maltese patrimony.
Jewellery is generally appreciated for its beauty and its intrinsic value but the exhibition sets out to shatter these preconceptions. It shows that jewellery should be appreciated not only as an art form – a three-dimensional wearable sculpture in miniature, if you like – but also as an object that reveals so much about the history, beliefs and practices of a people.
Jewellery is a new window onto our history and one that cuts right across the social divide – the poorest people wore some form of jewellery as did the ruling class.
The exhibition is divided into thematic areas and explores the various meanings that jewellery demonstrates. A section dedicated to the amuletic qualities of jewellery shows how, in another time, jewellery had a protective function accorded to it.
By wearing certain objects or materials, our forefathers (and mothers) really believed that they were ensuring protection, fertility and good luck.
For example, the use of coral has, from as early as Roman times, been held to shield the wearer from the evil eye and maladies. In Christian times, jewellery became a central feature of devotional practices. The faithful would pray for divine intercession, and once their vow was fulfilled, a present of jewellery would be made to the holy image or sanctuary where the image or statue was held. This resulted in a great enrichment of churches.
A case in point is the icon of St Luke, which is held to be miraculous and has attracted a number of jewellery donations through the centuries. Jewellery pieces from the 16th century right through to the 20th century were attached to this icon and remain as evidence of this practice, which is fast disappearing.
Sadly, much jewellery has disappeared from churches through the years too – generally when improvements in the church required immediate funding, and the pious gifts of jewellery which had accumulated over the years were melted down to meet these needs.
Although the icon itself can still be seen at St John’s Co-Cathedral where the devotion to it continues unabated, the silver ‘dress’ (cover), which is studded with all these pieces of jewellery, is no longer on display for security considerations.
This is just one example of items which are never seen in public, which have been loaned for display in the Patrimonju exhibition. This, in fact, has always been a tour de force in every Patrimonju exhibition.
Many jewellery pieces from the 19th century survive – this was an interesting period for Maltese jewellery history and perfectly reflects the changes that occurred in the governance of the islands. The new British influence and taste permeated not only customs and costumes but also jewellery, and this is shown in the display of 19th-century jewellery included in the exhibition.
As relatively large amounts of this type of jewellery still survive in private collections, this will be useful for visitors to the exhibition who will be able to compare any family pieces they might own with the artefacts on display.
Maltese filigree became one of the most sought-after objects by foreigners passing through Malta in the 19th century
One of the greatest contributions of Maltese jewellery to the international jewellery scene is in terms of filigree. Maltese filigree was much appreciated for its intricate and fine detail and became one of the most sought-after objects to be purchased by the many foreigners passing through Malta in the 19th century.
This fact, coupled with the filigree that was displayed on the Malta stand in the Great Exhibition of 1851, helped to bring Maltese filigree to the notice of an English as well as European public.
The eight-pointed cross, so emblematic of the Order of St John and the Maltese islands, is represented in a focused collection showing how it transited from a decoration of the Order worn only by its members to a widespread symbol of Malta in general.
The goldsmith’s practice in Malta is moreover represented in a re-created bottega, or workshop, which includes a number of authentic historic tools and machines used for decades in the Emmanuele Azzopardi workshop, which had been in constant operation from 1898 until recent times.
Considering that the number of goldsmiths still creating jewellery from scratch has dwindled to next to nothing, this might be the last chance for this generation to actually see a goldsmith’s workshop.
Modern and contemporary jewellery is also considered in a section which shows the variety and limitless imagination of the modern international jeweller. A consummate artist who made great waves on the international jewellery scene was Andrew Grima (1921-2007), who descended from a Maltese family.
His outstanding jewellery won the patronage of royalty and international celebrities such as Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret and Jacqueline Kennedy, almost from the word go. Several stunning jewellery pieces made by Grima bring the exhibition to a fitting conclusion.
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue of the exhibits, preceded by a number of studies by local and foreign historians and jewellery experts.
Francesca Balzan, curator of the exhibition, discusses 19th-century jewellery from the perspective of writings and periodicals of the time; Michelle Galea, senior researcher at the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, delves into the history of amulets.
Marika Azzopardi presents an article on Maltese filigree. Albert Ganado analyses in-depth Malta’s participation by means of jewellery in the various international exhibitions. Contributions by leading foreign jewellery historians include an essay on Andrew Grima by Amanda Triossi, and a study on Maltese cross jewellery in Mediterranean collections by Prof. Maria Concetta di Natale from the University of Palermo.
A glossary of popular Maltese terms for jewellery, compiled by jeweller Emmanuel Azzopardi, is provided.
The catalogue is available for sale at the exhibition venue and at all leading bookshops.
The exhibition is open at the Casino Maltese, Republic Street, Valletta, until May 26, from Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and until late on Friday evenings.
Lectures and workshops
The public is also invited to the following series of lectures and workshops which will accompany the exhibition:
• April 12 at 6.30pm: Lecture by exhibition curator Francesca Balzan on 19th-century jewellery in Malta.
• May 5 at 11am: Lecture by Prof. Maria Concetta di Natale, University of Palermo, on Maltese cross jewellery. It will be delivered in Italian.
• May 17 at 6.30pm: Lecture by Prof. Anthony Bonanno, University of Malta, on amuletic jewellery in ancient times.
• May 19 at 11am: Workshop for children on jewellery-making.
• May 24 at 6.30pm: Lecture by Amanda Triossi, jewellery historian, author and curator of the historic Bulgari collection, on international jewellery designer Andrew Grima.
Dates and times should be confirmed closer to the date by calling Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti on 2123 1515.