Bizzilla: the lace of Malta and Gozo

From Genoa to Gozo

Pillow lace first appeared in Genoa in 1530 and was brought to Malta by the Knights of St John. Lace made in Malta was at first needle lace, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. When hard times nearly ended lacemaking in the mid-1800s, Genoese lacemakers were brought over and turned the old needle lace patterns into bobbin lace, which was quicker to make. Maltese lace soon developed its own style.

In Gozo the craft took off from around the mid-1840s as a welcome income for poor country families.

The Attard sisters

Marjanna Attard taught herself the craft from a lace sample given to her by a priest, and then taught her sister Ginisja and other local women. Ginisja devised the "Mosche" stitch, which is still popular today.

How it is made

The lacemaker works at a tall, thin upright pillow called the trajbu, stuffed with straw and covered in paper. Wooden bobbins called ċombini carry the thread. The pattern is drawn on parchment and fixed to the pillow, and pins hold the twisted and crossed threads in place as the lace grows in one continuous width. Larger pieces are made in two or more parts that are sewn together.

Maltese lace is usually made from cream silk, with black silk used in the past and sometimes linen thread. A typical pattern includes the eight-pointed Maltese cross and plump, rounded leaves known as "wheat ears".

Recognition

Maltese lace was shown at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 and became popular in Britain. In 1862 Gozo lace won first place at the International Exhibition in London. By the end of the century about 4,500 women practised the craft, and Gozo lace was exported across Europe and bought by Queen Victoria.

Lace today

Bizzilla is still made, and is listed on Malta's National Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The University of Malta's Gozo Campus runs a Lacemaking Programme, and an annual Lace Day helps keep the craft alive.