MALTESE CULTURE AND FOLKLOREDaniel Borg and Lara Marie Bonanno

GIRNA

Girna• Can be found in the countryside• Shape can vary in shapes• Some have a second level• Roofs are good for drying tomatoes, figs and carobs• Some have stairs that lead to the roof• First used in 1900s • They where homes for farmers• The architect Richard England, who built the church took his

inspiration from the "girna• The architect Richard England, who built the church took his

inspiration from the girna

Girna sketch made by Daniel

Studying formal elements and trying to create that 3D and realistic effect

Huts in Africa• In Africa he Bantu and the Zulu tribes lived in houses

shaped as a beehive• Huts in Egypt where built in the shape of a beehive in

memory of a chest that contained relics of Osiris.• The beehive was one of Osiris’s symbols which

represented mankind’s wisdom

LUZZU

•Symbol of Malta•Word Luzzu came from Guzzo•Used to be fishing boat •Seen in St. Paul’s Bay, Marsaxlokk & Zurrieq•Tunnara Museum found in Mellieha•Fish traps, nets and anything assosiated with the sea•Colours rarely changes•Maltese money•Protect people on sea – Eye of Osiris

• Katsushika Hokusai Japanese painting• Longer in size• Greek boats • Different colours• Acrylic Painting

THE MALTESE CLOCK

The Maltese Clock• Have been used in houses since the 17th century• Made of wood and layers of gypsum• Later engraved and gold is added.• The case of the clock had two doors.• On the inside door was a hand painted dial, that could be

fixed from the back

Japanese Clocks• Originated on the early Edo Period• They rotate once every day whilst the indicator remains in

the same place• It had to be adjusted twice a day to match the season.• Advanced design• Simpler with a basic shape• There are no numbers on the clock• Works with LEDs that show the hands of the clock.

Ghodda Antiki

• Used in the 19th Century • Used in World War II• Handmade baskets• Threshing (Dris) – Oxen’s• Sickle (Mingel) – Harvesting Crops

• African sickle• Winnowing Fork • Grain Scoop • Egyptian Sickle

MALTESE BALCONIES

Maltese Balconies

• Define the character of Malta’s urban landscapes.• When light hits these balconies it creates a chiaroscuro

effect on the Maltese stone walls.• There are two types of traditional Maltese balconies, the

open type which are made of stone or iron and then there are closed wooden ones.

• The oldest type of balconies in Malta are the open stone ones and are the most common in the older parts of the island like Mdina.

• Valletta also had stone balconies but where changed into closed wooden ones.

Maltese Balconies

• Wooden balconies where first being used in Valletta I during the mid-eighteenth century and increased in popularity and where very fashionable.

• .These type of balconies originated from North Africa and Morocco and the prototypes originated from Arabic Muxrabija.

Balconies in Egypt

• The Egyptian balconies are very similar in shape and size but Maltese balconies are more confined and the Egyptian balconies are more open.

• They are very symmetrical like the Maltese balconies but the Egyptian balconies have more patterns.

Modern Maltese Balconies

Maltese Transport

• Thorneycroft buses from UK • World War II – Ford V8 Chassis• Bus body builder • Colour coded in 3 groups• 1977• 1995 • Interior of the buses• Key chains

• Kept by owners• Weddings• Tourists

Tberfil• Art & Craft lettering• Trucks, horse-drawn, horse riding carriages• Baroque line • Illuminate manuscript

• Italy & London• Bendy buses • Double deckers• 20th century• 1960’s

TRADITIONAL MALTESE INSTRUMENTS

The traditional Maltese instruments date to the 16th century and where used for the Maltese Ghana.

• The Cuqlajta was an instrument that associated with the Holy Week

• It comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes which each have their own sound.

• A particular type of cuqlajta that has existed since the Roman times can be seen in folk bands mostly in Gozo.

Il -Qarn

• Il-Qarn or the Horn have been protective objects of the Maltese islands for a very long time

• they were put on the doors of farm houses to protect the families that lived there from the ‘evil eye’

• Cattle horns were also used as instruments when blown through. Horns were mostly associated with Carnival.

• Vuvuzela

Iz-Zaqq• The bagpipe in Malta is known as iz-zaqq• It is familiar with the Greek tsambouna• It is made out of animal skin mostly a premature born calf,

dog or goat• All of the skin is used including all four legs and the tail• The chanter is made up of two pipes, one of them has five

finger holes and the other one has one.• Bagpipe• Bulgarian

L-insig ( Maltese Weaving)

• 1000 years ago• Natural materials• Clothing, rugs and blankets• Weaving machine• Phoenicians• Antoine Vella• Produce things• Mixed materials

• Dry seasons• Brighter colours• Shapes & patterns• Geometric

Maltese Art

 • Fishing boats in Vecca St Paul's bay in blue Coloured inks mixed

media on paper size 30x40cm

• In this painting the artist is showing the culture and the traditional Maltese boat by using visible outlines and bright colours. The composition is showing the typical Maltese life on the sea. In the painting you can see very intense shadows that are making the painting more lifelike.

Piet Mondrian composition with

red blue black yellow and gray

• The village colours. Acrylics on canvas size 32x42cm 2012

The artist combined two types of styles. He is showing a Maltese church with and abstract composition. It is evident that he is influenced by Piet Mondrian’s composition with red, blue, black, yellow and grey. He simplifies these shapes and colours to obtain and reach his own type of art.

 

Henri Matisse, Open Window, Collioure, 1905,National

Maltese village snd sleeping lady and Fishing village sunrise

• These two paintings are showing Maltese culture and lifestyle but in a simplified and abstract form.

• It is possible that the artist was inspired by Henri Matisse, since Matisse painted things like a child would.

• One can also notice that Bonello is using the same style and tones in his work by simplifying forms and shapes using bright colours without blending, and thick outlines.