In the 16th century, what social and political conditions allowed silversmiths to settle in Malta and create objets d’art of exceptional craftsmanship?
I have not traced any marks for Maltese silver before the advent of the Knights of St John, nor do I know what they would have looked like. In his Malta Illustrata, Gio. Francesco Abela mentions some late medieval and (probably) early Renaissance chalices and vases in Mdina Cathedral and in other parishes. Prof. Stanley Fiorini discovered some Maltese gilders and silversmiths who were commissioned by the Mdina Cathedral to create religious items in the early 1520s, namely Bartolomeo Maczuni and Josep Bonello (Artists, Artisans and Craftsmen at the Mdina Cathedral in the early 16th century, Melita Historica Vol X no 4, 1991).
A few important domestic silver items of the early to mid-16th century, and directly related to Maltese families, are in private collections. The hallmarks these bear are often Sicilian or Spanish. This makes sense, as Malta was a Spanish fiefdom under the rule of Palermo. The number of raids destroying their livelihood must have hindered any wealth generation, let alone the acquisition of silver and gold, both precious commodities. The population of our islands then was around 10,000 inhabitants.
The Knights of St John brought from Rhodes a number of goldsmiths and silversmiths – I suspect that these were initially in charge of coinage. Prof. Fiorini kindly supplied me with some names, from his personal manuscripts and these include Andreas Caloysii, Petrus Callamita, Ambrosio Pouson, Petrus Sanch, Laurentius Sanch, Petrus de Verra.
The first Master of the Mint, appointed circa 1530 by the Grand Master was Michele Provost, a Flemish sculptor. His nephew Simon took over in 1566 – the Master of the Mint was always appointed by the Grand Master.
One must imagine that Malta was greatly impoverished during and after the Great Siege and subsequent building of Valletta, which explains why Grand Master de La Valette introduced a fiduciary copper coin. But with time, Malta was enriched, mainly by corsairing and revenues from the priories of the Knights.
Back then, were silversmiths mainly influenced by continental trends?
Definitely. Not only then, but throughout the history of silversmithing. In Malta, they were influenced by the Siculo/Spanish, the Italian baroque, the French great architects who designed silver prototypes, and in the 19th century, the English and Italian fashions.
What role did the Church play in the appreciation of silver?
The Church commissioned a lot of work from our silversmiths, as did the Knights of St John, for their personal use and as contributions to the Order. Several noteworthy documents, found in parish archives and pertaining to the acquisition of clerical ornaments, show that it was the parishioners who contributed, either by subscription or by bequests.
As opposed to ecclesiastical, many domestic silver items are to be found in parish museums, obviously donated by individuals for devotional reasons. Grand Masters and Knights commissioned Maltese master silversmiths. It was a rule that the Holy Infirmary and Santo Spirito were provided with clean silverware, from tureens to plates, flatware, drinking vessels and lamps.
Of all the objects crafted in Malta from the 16th till the 19th century, how many survive?
As time went by, we don’t know how much was melted and reshaped, but we have some clues. By the time Napoleon arrived, Malta must have been dazzling with major works of silver, were they from Europe or made by our own artisans. The treasure trove of gold and silver that Napoleon ordered to be melted down to pay for his wars must have been astounding. This was found in our churches and palaces as well as from the Monte di Pietà. The mind boggles to think of what could have been thrown into the melting pot.
Before this, it was usual for old silver to be reutilised and reshaped, to pay for a modern item. This doesn’t only apply to Malta. Silversmiths were supplied with a portion or a good percentage of the metal by the commissioner, as documented in several deeds. The Knights’ Conservatory also supplied damaged or superfluous silverware and gold to the Mint, when times were rough, in order to mint coins or to create needed silverware. This happened in 1680 and 1777, the latter also from the spoils of deceased Knights.
At this point in time, it is difficult to prove what was on the table or in other sections of the house. But speculating and going back to Napoleon’s thefts, heavy silver such as soup tureens, écuelles, serving dishes and plates, candelabra and the sort, would have provided easy material for the mint. This would explain why coffee pots, sugar basins and light silver survived. Research in our treasure trove of archives, prominently the Notarial Archives in Valletta, should provide good information.
The condition of the surviving items is related to their initial quality, which would hopefully resist the wear of time. Other items were made of lighter material in compliance to the pocket of the buyer. However, when the metal was rare, for political or social reasons, less silver was utilised to create an item. So the period in which an item was created matters too, if you are looking for rarity.
What are the qualities that define Maltese silver?
Books of the latest designs travelled with craftsmen, say from Marseilles to Malta. The Maltese silversmith interpreted the item and in some cases got it wrong. I’m thinking of a beautiful two-handled dish called a plat à ragout (stew dish), if my memory is correct, of the late Manoel de Vilhena period. It was obviously copied from a provincial French design, but the handles were abnormally articulate. I’ve also seen a mid-18th century spherical sponge box, copied from a Louis XV model, but double the normal size utilised in France.
The treasure trove of gold and silver that Napoleon ordered to be melted down to pay for his wars must have been astounding
Coffee pots and lampieri evolved into typical Maltese models from the Italian designs in the mid-18th century. The early toilet boxes in the baroque style were adapted from North Italian to South German examples and were mainly used to contain rice powder for the then fashionable wigs – they were later reutilised as, or confused for, sugar basins. The now typical Maltese sugar pots on tripod legs or on a plinth derive from the Italian and provincial French prototypes of the second half of the 18th century.
Centuries later, why is Maltese silver still highly collectible and valuable?
I believe it’s a question of national pride, besides our trait of collecting and adorning our households. Its value is a question of supply and demand.
Is Maltese silver a sound investment?
A good piece of silver is as valuable as you wish to pay for it. From what I see at auction, both here and abroad, collectible Maltese silver has achieved much higher prices than similar European examples.
How has the silversmith’s craft changed along the years and do Maltese silversmiths still produce highquality objets d’art?
One may find modern items of high quality, including filigree work. The craft must be encouraged. I’m thinking of the achievements at the Goldsmith Hall, London, which has promoted young silversmiths to create attractive modern domestic silver and jewellery. Why not promote our talented youth for sponsored apprenticeships in this field?
What inspired you to specialise in Maltese silver and what research do you carry out on the subject?
I returned to Malta after 13 odd years at Christie’s Geneva, where I had the privilege of studying and researching high-quality continental silver of all ages.
When I was given the opportunity of researching silver for the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (Maltese Heritage Foundation) exhibition of 1995, I realised that quite often, things didn’t tally. Our pioneers in the field relied on misinformation regarding the period of an item. For example, an écuelle (stew dish) of a certain style could not belong to the 17th century, because it simply didn’t exist then. It turned out to be by an excellent silversmith called Pierre Brun, born near Toulouse in 1720, who emigrated to Malta at the end of the 1740s and who contributed greatly to our silver heritage. The hallmark which often accompanies his work was mistaken as probably being that of Dionisio Famu(n)celli, consul for silversmiths from 1665 to 1683 (dates to be researched), but in reality was one used in the Pinto and Ximenes de Texada reigns, as I found it on numerous items that could only be stylistically attributed to these periods.
One thing leading to another, I decided that I should work at identifying our silversmiths – their dates, apprenticeships and work, obviously accompanied with all information about the laws and hallmarks regarding the craft. After all, practically each country, town, province in Europe has a detailed reference book on the subject. Why not us, especially as all documentation regarding the Guild was reportedly destroyed during WWII.
I am currently researching about 600 gold- and silversmiths and their marks, working from 1530 to 1815. This is an astonishing amount for such a small population (by the 1790s around 100,000), but this can be explained by the richness of our society since the advent of the Knights of St John.
The most exciting part is that there is still much to discover.
Alaine Apap Bologna is an art historian and connoisseur who specialised in silver and objets d’art.
Rare late 17th-century marriage cup, from the Wignacourt period. Photos: Peter Bartolo Parnis