CONTEXTUAL STUDIES

TASK 4
BY: KIRSTY PARIS & TRIXYBELLE MICALLEF
GROUP D

CHARACTERISTICS

Luzzu
Used for fishing and nowadays also for ferrying across the
grand habour.
Traditional Maltese Tiles
Handcrafted tiles used to decorate houses, apartments,
farmhouses, mansions and also commercial outlets.

CHARACTERISTICS

Girna
Used as a shelter for the farmer when its extremely hot in the
summer or when its rainy and windy in the winter.
A storage room for farming tools.
Kept certain animals, pigs werent allowed for hygienic reasons.

CHARACTERISTICS

Bizzilla
Maltese and Gozitan lace are creamy or honey coloured.
Most of the lace was made using Spanish silk.
Made using bobbins

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Luzzu
Take us back to the ancient Phoenicians.
Gave us their culture and Semitic language.
Luzzu is used as a fishing boat and it kept similar design as the
ancient times.

Traditional Maltese Tiles

Started in the 1900s in the Mediterranean.
Give us a national unique, visual and architectural identity.
Originality of the tiles go back in Turkey. During their use of
production technique were taken in Spain.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Girna
Created by the ordinary farmer in the day
Eventually helped the Maltese build more efficient houses.
Bizzilla
Its origins started in Venice
In the mid 1800s lace makers from Genoa were sent to Malta by
Lady Chichester.
She sent them to develop the Italian bobbin lace

DESCRIBE
Luzzu
Built with double-ended hull and wood.
They are slightly bigger and are motorized and work with diesel
engine.
Painted with bright colours such as blue, yellow, red and green.
The eye is of Horus or Osiris it is engraved it is a protection from
the evil kept with the Phoenicians.
Normally inherited from a persons father or grandfather.
Restoration is made after 5 years by the fisherman itself.

Traditional Maltese Tiles

Made out of cement.
They are made handcrafted and made one by one at the size of
20cm by 20cm.
Common colours green, red, black and grey. They use palette
colours and mix them in Sasla.
Technology and machinery arent used so much.

 They are made from several layers of mortar: sand, marble powder
and cement.
The first mixture would be poured in the mould; dividing the surface
into separate compartments.
Wipe it with oil and fill up with colours.
Later, Putraxx soaks the water so that design wont mix with each
other. Afterwards Milanc is put to set up the tile.
Then, it would be pressed under the pressing machine which forces
excess moisture.

DESCRIBE

Girna
Made of stones that the farmers found in their fields.
Some have a rounded roof others are more rectangular.
Look simple but have an uncommon architecture.
Small but very useful, used as a storage
Bizzilla
Made using bobbins
The Maltese/Gozitan technique is difficult when it is done properly.
Back in the day it was used for various clothing material like wedding
dresses, cloth and neck pieces.

OPINIONS

Luzzu and the traditional Maltese tiles are still used nowadays.
The traditional Maltese tiles are used less as modernism took
place and they are used more classical style.
While the Luzzu is still used as it used to be although it is used
more for mass production as ferrying tourists.

OPINIONS
Girna
The Girna may look simple to the average person nowadays, but for the people
at the time which most of them were farmers.
Used as a storage keeping the tools for the farmers safe
Kept the farmers safe in any condition the weather was.
It was a second home for the farmers during their work hours.
Bizzilla
A famous Maltese tradition which is not so common nowadays.
Has some trademark designs like the 8 pointed which is used in multiple
designs.
Its is common that nowadays they are bought as souvenirs

LUZZU

RADITIONAL MALTESE TILES

Referencing
Luzzu
Airmalta.com, (2016).Maltese Luzzu: A tradition surrounded by superstition. [online]
Available at: https://www.airmalta.com/destinations/malta/blog/detail/maltese-luzzu
[Accessed 13 Jan. 2016].
Anecdotesfrommalta.blogspot.com.mt, (2010).Anecdotes from Malta: The Luzzu.
[online] Available at: http://anecdotesfrommalta.blogspot.com.mt/2010/06/luzzu.html
[Accessed 13 Jan. 2016].

Traditional Maltese Tiles

Independent.com.mt, (2016).FIRST: Stiled in Malta... The art of tile making - The Malta
Independent. [online] Available at: http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-0820/local-news/FIRST-Stiled-in-Malta-The-art-of-tile-making-6736140811 [Accessed 29
Dec. 2015].
Lawrencefenech.com, (2016).Materials - Lawrence Fenech Ltd. [online] Available at:
http://www.lawrencefenech.com/materials.asp [Accessed 29 Dec. 2015].
TVM News, (2015).Traditional decorative Maltese tiles still in demand - TVM News.
[online] Available at: http://www.tvm.com.mt/en/news/traditional-decorative-maltesetiles-still-in-demand/ [Accessed 28 Dec. 2015].
Versatile.com.mt, (2016).Versatile. [online] Available at: http://www.versatile.com.mt/
[Accessed 29 Dec. 2015].

Girna

N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.

Bizzilla

Scicluna, Frank. "MALTESE CONSULATE OF South AUSTRALIA - Maltese Lace BIZZILLA".Ozmalta.page4.me. N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.

Images

Luzzu: Marsaxlokk

Traditional Maltese Tiles: Tiles and Marble Factory Attard

Bizilla : grandmothers pieces

Girna: Mtarfa, Mgarr