|
BIZZILLA
A craft handed over by the Knights |
|
by
|
|
In 1839
Thomas McGill, who issued A Handbook, or
Guide, for Strangers visiting Malta, wrote
that "the females of the Island make also
excellent lace; the lace mitts and gloves
wrought by the Malta girls are bought by all
ladies coming to the island; orders from
England are often sent for them on account
of their beauty and cheapness. "
The 18th century, by which time lace was
already a well-established local industry,
provides iconographic evidence of its use in
various paintings by Francesco Zahra
(1710-1773) and Antoine de Favray
(1706-1798), representing high dignitaries
of the Order of St John ecclesiastics and
Maltese ladies of society.
Agius De Soldanis also records in his
dictionary that Malta lace had achieved a
high degree of perfection and compared
favourably with that produced by Dutch
women. Its widespread use for adornment may
be inferred from the
fact that lace was included with other |
|
 |
|
|
articles in
a bandu or proclamation enacted by Grand Master
Ramon Perellos in 1697 aimed at repressing the
wearing of gold, silver, jewellery, cloth
of gold, silks and other materials of value.
The Maltese word for lace bizzilla, suggests a
comparatively recent origin. In fact its
introduction to these islands can date further back
than the 16th century, when the art of lace-making,
probably introduced into Venice from the East began
to spread in Europe.
From Venice the new technique was soon taken up by
Genoa, where pillow lace, as distinct from Venetian
point lace, developed. Modem Maltese lace is
descended directly from Genoese lace.
To quote from Mincoff and Marriage (Pillow Lace,
1907), "This heavier Genoese lace was made from 1625
onwards. Its lineal descendant is modern Maltese,
which was introduced into the island by lace workers
brought from Genoa in 1833 by Lady
Hamilton-Chichester.. "Though Genoese’s by
extraction the industry, flourishing
exceedingly in Malta, has developed a
character of its own, retaining as essential the
Genoese |
|
|
|
leaf work
but very little of its solid tapes, light
twists taking their place. Characteristic is
also the Maltese cross in the patterns and
the cream or black silk in which the lace is
usually worked."
From the bove one may infer that
lace making, a flourishing industry in the
18th century, fell on evil days and was on
the decline during the first years of
British rule, and therefore, rather than
introduce it into Malta, Lady
Hamilton-Chichester helped to revive the
industry in 1833. It is a fact that this
date coincides roughly with a period of
considerable revival and expansion. About
the same time lace making spread to the
whole of Gozo and became a thriving industry
there through the efforts of two priests:
Canon Salvatore Bondi (1790-1859) and Fr
Joseph Diacono (1847-1924).
Lace figured among the objects sent from
Malta to the Exhibition of Industries held
in London in 1881. The commercial potential
of bobbin lace as developed in Malta led
British missionaries to copy and introduce
local patterns in the Far East, both in
China and India. Patterns were copied first
in silk and later in linen and cotton
thread.
There is a steady demand for lace by
tourists. To ensure the survival of this
ancient craft, lace making is taught in
Government trade schools for girls, while
private bodies such as the Society of |
|
|
Arts, Manufactures
and Commerce also hold special evening classes. From
time to time exhibitions are held. Besides arousing
public awareness of the cultural importance of this
aspect of Malta’s national heritage, such
initiatives also inspire deeper study of the history
and techniques of local lace among women’s
organisations and in academic circles. |
|
|
|
